Three men operating out of an unmarked SUV stopped a Black man and demanded identification documents while he was out on a jog on VFW Parkway near his home in West Roxbury on Tuesday.
The incident was partly captured on a video that was filmed by the victim, posted to Facebook later on Tuesday, and subsequently reported on Universal Hub.
In an interview with WBUR, the victim, Bena Apreala, reported feeling uncertain whether the men were even legitimate law enforcement officers at all. Eventually, they did show him badges, at least one of which bore the word ICE – the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
Related:
Read the ACLU's guide on what to do if you're stopped by police or witnessing police brutality.
Apreala reported that once he began to film the interaction, the men became more cordial and allowed him to leave.
Several Boston City Councilors condemned the incident on Twitter yesterday:
This illegal stop and blatant racial profiling is a harsh reminder that we have ICE agents roaming our streets — or people emboldened by a cruel and reckless President — targeting Black and Brown residents and putting our lives at risk. https://t.co/Fz3QVgzYSJ
— Andrea J. Campbell (@AndreaForAG) October 7, 2020
As someone who frequently jogs along the parkway, this hits particularly hard. This unlawful stop was outrageous & unacceptable. Racial profiling should not happen here or anywhere else. I am working to follow up w/the victim & will address this issue immediately w/ federal reps. https://t.co/JCJ7fFoBnV
— Matt O'Malley (@MattOMalley) October 6, 2020
After initially refusing to comment in response to questioning from WBUR on Wednesday morning, the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations office released a statement on Wednesday evening confirming that the perpetrators were their officers.
