Aurora mother speaks out after teen tackled by police during anti-ICE school walkout

Aurora mother speaks out after teen tackled by police during anti-ICE school walkout

A mother and her son in Aurora are speaking out after she says her 15-year-old son was tackled by police during an anti-ICE school walkout earlier this week.

AURORA, Ill. - A mother and her son in Aurora are speaking out after she says her 15-year-old son was tackled by police during an anti-ICE school walkout earlier this week.

What we know:

The family says the teen, Yuviel Perez Soto, an East Aurora High School student, was taking part in what they describe as a peaceful protest Monday when officers knocked him to the ground. His mother says he was rushed to the hospital and treated for bruises and head injuries, calling the experience traumatizing.

Aurora police say officers were responding to several coordinated walkouts involving roughly 1,500 students across the city. According to police, some students moved into traffic, blocked vehicles and got into fights, creating dangerous conditions.

Authorities say three teens were arrested on charges that include obstructing and resisting officers. Police say one of the teens is also accused of punching an officer in the head.

That teen told FOX 32 he is now facing a charge of improper walking in the roadway. He claims officers tackled him, knocking him unconscious. 

"In that moment, he grabbed me by the sweater and spun me around. Some officer came out of nowhere and tackled me to the ground. They put all their weight on me and I couldn't breathe. I woke up, and they grabbed me and put me back in the van," Perez Soto said. 

Students and community members gathered outside the Aurora Police Department Tuesday night, demanding the charges against the three teens be dropped and calling for accountability.