PITTSBURGH — There was a large police presence in a Pittsburgh neighborhood on Wednesday after a physical confrontation escalated between federal agents and a man they were taking into custody.
Neighbors tell Channel 11 they’re shaken up after seeing and hearing what unfolded along Norton Street in Mount Washington.
Cell phone video shows a struggle that continued for several minutes.
“The ICE agent car was blocking the truck, well, he was going up, the truck was going up, and there was another car in front of him, so they must have blocked him in so he couldn’t get anywhere,” a neighbor said.
Neighbors watched and listened from a distance, many of them taking videos and asking questions. One neighbor told us he heard a loud boom, which he believes was the man’s truck window being broken. That truck was still parked along Norton Street when Channel 11 crews arrived.
A public information officer from the city of Pittsburgh told Channel 11 that police and medics were called to evaluate all parties following the incident, which included federal agents from ICE and the man who was the target of the operation.
Channel 11 asked about Pittsburgh police’s role in the incident.
Police sent this statement:
“Pittsburgh police is not apprised of ICE activity, such as federal administrative warrant service, in the city of Pittsburgh and does not assist ICE agents with such operations. Pittsburgh police officers respond to emergency calls for service in their jurisdiction.”
“I don’t think anybody is against going after criminals, regardless of your legal status,” a neighbor said “I think we all want to live safely. The issue is, we don’t know. So until we do know, that’s where the issue is. That’s where we need more transparency.”
Channel 11 reached out to Homeland Security investigators about why the man was taken into custody and if there were warrants out for his arrest. Those questions have not been answered.
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