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ICE tactics under fire from ex-Chicago law enforcement officials say
Federal agents are coming under fire by former Chicago law enforcement officials for aggressive tactics to chase suspects.
CHICAGO - Former Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson says there are good reasons the Chicago Police Department does not engage in the same high-risk tactics that federal immigration officials have used in recent days as they move to deport undocumented immigrants.
What we know:
On Tuesday, DHS agents performed a "PIT maneuver" — in which a law enforcement vehicle purposely crashes into a fleeing vehicle to force it to stop — after a high-speed chase down a residential street in Chicago’s densely populated East Side.
"CPD outlawed PIT maneuvers years ago, because it's not only dangerous to the public, but it's dangerous to the officers performing that maneuver," Johnson said. "And when the speeds are increased, it becomes that much more dangerous."
Johnson said he's also concerned that federal agents engaged in the high-speed chase to begin with, after purportedly conducting raids at a Walgreens and bank branch nearby.
He said car chases should only happen if the offender is accused of serious crimes, and if it's late night or early morning when residents are not outside.
"What I saw yesterday, flying down residential neighborhoods – you got to think about children being out there at that time," he said. "They may be chasing a ball in the middle of the street and get hit inadvertently because of things of this nature."
Sharon Fairley led the police oversight agency now known as COPA after the fallout from the murder of Laquan McDonald. She said ICE and CBP tactics are not unconstitutional, but they go against best practices in an urban environment.
"Police agencies understand that engaging in motor vehicle pursuits is inherently dangerous in an urban area because you can let these offenders go, and then find them later," Fairley said.
Johnson also said ICE's heavy use of tear gas, rubber bullets and chemical munitions is inflaming tensions in communities, and serve to escalate a situation rather than de-escalate.
On Tuesday, 14 CPD officers filed reports of being hit with chemical munitions. Tenth Ward Alderman Peter Chico represents the East Side of Chicago and is a former Chicago police officer. He said he would not be able to get away with the actions of federal agents.
"If I had done half of this stuff as a police officer, I would wind up in jail," Chico said. "I would have been arrested right on the scene. This is crazy."
"I haven't seen tear gas de-escalate anything," Johnson said. "What it does is spread the crowd out, and then they come at you from different angles. What's the point? And then, there's no such thing as a non-lethal munition. When you're using rubber bullets, let's say you have elderly people with a pacemaker. If you don't hit the person you're aiming for, you could kill that elderly person. So I think they have to pare down what I see as no de-escalation tactics whatsoever."
The other side:
FOX 32 Chicago reached out to DHS representatives asking for the agency's de-escalation and use of force policies, as well as why federal officers were using tactics long outlawed by CPD.
We got the following response from Assistant Secretary Tricia McGlaughlin:
"The First Amendment protects speech and peaceful assembly – not rioting. DHS is taking reasonable and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers. ICE officers are facing a nearly 1000% increase in assaults against them as they put their lives on the line to arrest murderers, rapists, and gang members.
"ICE and CBP are trained to use the minimum amount of force necessary to resolve dangerous situations to prioritize the safety of the public and themselves. Our officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics and regularly receive ongoing use of force training.
"Rioters and terrorists have opened fire on officers, thrown rocks, bottles, and fireworks at them, slashed the tires of their vehicles, and have destroyed multiple law enforcement vehicles. Others have chosen to ignore commands and have attempted to impede law enforcement operations and used their vehicles as weapons against our officers. Despite these grave threats and dangerous situations our law enforcement is put in they show incredible restraint in exhausting all options before any kind of non-lethal force is used.
"When our heroic law enforcement officers conduct operations, they clearly identify themselves as law enforcement while wearing masks to protect themselves and their families from being targeted by highly sophisticated gangs like Tren de Aragua and MS-13, criminal rings, murderers, and rapists. DHS has even obtained credible intelligence indicating that Mexican criminals, in coordination with domestic extremist groups have placed targeted bounties on ICE and CBP law enforcement.
"We remind members of the media to exercise caution as they cover these violent riots and remind journalists that covering unlawful activities in the field does come with risks — though our officers take every reasonable precaution to mitigate those dangers to those exercising protected First Amendment rights.
"Customs and Border Protection is empowered by longstanding federal law to operate within 100 miles of an international border. This 100-Mile Border Enforcement Zone also encompasses airports and international entry points into the country. Again, this definition is longstanding and enshrined in federal law.
"CBP is assisting ICE Operations in Chicago and elsewhere to support targeted immigration enforcement actions. CBP did not initially deploy in response to civil unrest or to restore order on behalf of local authorities. However, after violent protests began and our federal partners were attacked and local law enforcement repeatedly ignored calls for help, CBP prioritized force protection to ensure that all federal law enforcement agents and officers could continue to conduct their duties safely. Criminal behavior justifies law enforcement presence. This includes destruction, arson, violence, and obstruction. If someone is taken into custody, it is because of a criminal charge or an immigration violation. We arrest illegal aliens and other criminals under specific legal authority:
- Foreign nationals who have been ordered removed by an Immigration judge;
- Foreign nationals who are unlawfully present in the U.S.;
- Individuals with outstanding criminal arrest warrants; and
- Individuals committing criminal acts in our presence, including assault."
The Source: This story contains reporting from Fox 32's Paris Schutz.