Skip to Content
Streetsblog Massachusetts home
Log In
Equity

ICE Agents Threaten Black Jogger on VFW Parkway

9:17 AM EDT on October 7, 2020

A screenshot from the victim’s Facebook video.

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:

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.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Massachusetts

Poll: Free Fares Could Rival Reliable Service For Attracting New Riders To the T

57 percent of the poll's respondents said that making the T free to ride would make them more likely to use transit; 37 percent said that fare-free service would make them "much more likely" to ride.

September 21, 2023

Sec. Tibbits-Nutt Spotlights Climate Issues In First Meeting As MassDOT Board Chair

"We all know that we're one of the filthiest industries, and we have a lot of work to do," said the Commonwealth's new Secretary of Transportation.

September 20, 2023
See all posts