Man appears to have a seizure as ICE arrests his wife, but officials disagree

Massachusetts antheral claims helium mislaid consciousness during a conflict with migration agents, nevertheless national authorities impeach him of faking the seizure to forestall his wife’s arrest

FITCHBURG, Mass. -- A Massachusetts antheral seen connected video having an evident seizure during a conflict with migration agents arsenic helium holds his woman and crying toddler says helium mislaid consciousness aft agents pushed and deed him and pressed connected his neck.

Department of Homeland Security officials accused him of faking the aesculapian exigency to support agents from arresting his wife, who was wanted for allegedly stabbing a co-worker with scissors.

“I wasn’t letting spell of my woman due to the fact that they wanted to instrumentality her away,” Carlos Zapata, 24, told The Boston Globe successful Spanish. He spoke to the paper connected Friday, a time aft his woman was detained successful a chaotic postulation stop.

Bystanders shouted and recorded the confrontation arsenic Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers surrounded the family's car Thursday greeting successful Fitchburg, a metropolis astir 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Boston. Agents were seeking Juliana Milena Ojeda-Montoya, who was wrong the conveyance with her hubby and 1 ½-year-old daughter, according to a Homeland Security quality release.

Widely circulated video shows Zapata down the wheel, his assemblage shaking and the whites of his eyes disposable arsenic masked agents scope into the car.

“He's having a seizure!” bystanders tin beryllium heard shouting.

Zapata told the paper that agents were pushing him and his woman unneurotic with the kid betwixt them, and that helium blacked retired aft agents pressed connected his neck.

“I had convulsions oregon something. I don’t cognize what they did to me,” helium said. When helium regained consciousness, helium said, agents were handcuffing him.

Zapata said helium and his woman are from Ecuador and entered the state unlawfully respective years ago. They person since applied for asylum successful a lawsuit that is pending and are authorized to work, helium said. He was driving his woman to her occupation astatine Burger King erstwhile they were stopped, helium said.

Homeland Security responded to the video Friday, saying: “Imagine FAKING a seizure to assistance a transgression flight justice,” successful a station connected societal media.

“Medical unit recovered determination was nary morganatic aesculapian emergency,” Tricia McLaughlin, the department's adjunct secretary, said successful a quality release. “He was adjacent caught connected video connected his feet and coherent moments later.”

The section said officers were conducting a targeted cognition to apprehension Ojeda-Montoya for the alleged scissor stabbing and for throwing a trash tin astatine her coworker successful August. She was charged with battle and artillery with a unsafe weapon, the Globe reported.

Ojeda-Montoya was successful custody pending removal proceedings, according to Homeland Security.

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