WOODLAND, California — A 37-year-old man was struck by a federal immigration vehicle Tuesday morning while documenting ICE activity, an incident captured on multiple videos and under investigation by Woodland police. The collision was reported at 9:38 a.m. in the area of Clover Street and College Street, police said. The man, identified as Antonio Moreida, suffered minor injuries. He was evaluated at the scene by medical personnel before being taken to hospital. Woodland police said the vehicle that hit him was a Chevrolet Tahoe operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducting an operation in the area. The ICE driver immediately notified Woodland police about the collision and cooperated with investigators, police said. “I heard the engine because it was breaking down on the street, and that’s how I shifted my attention from that to the vehicle, and just like that, they approached me,” Moreida told KCRA 3. The videos show different angles of the incident. Video shared by advocacy group NorCal Resist shows two unmarked SUVs passing each other. The camera follows an SUV as it drives away, flashing its brake lights before swerving to the left. The images capture the moment when Moreida, who is on the road, falls to the ground and rolls on his back while the truck continues driving. Another angle from a home surveillance camera shows Moreida walking alongside and touching one of the trucks before it leaves the frame. He then continues walking in the middle of the street, holding a GoPro camera. Moments later, another SUV enters the scene, its engine revving before swerving and hitting Moreida with its right front end. Then the vehicle drives away. Moreida and a witness speak Moreida said he was at the scene to document the activity of ICE agents when the collision occurred. “He definitely seemed to swerve toward me instead of trying to avoid me because of where I was on the street,” he said. Steve Hanes, a Woodland resident who witnessed the incident, described what he saw. “He walked right up to the car and was taking pictures with his phone. I guess they didn’t like that too much because they told him to get away, so he drove away, got down there and then I heard a car crash, like skid marks, and a car hit the guy who was taking pictures here,” Hanes said. Moreida explained that his GoPro camera was used to document ICE activity and record what happened in case something went wrong. “Getting hit by a moving vehicle is not something you just ignore, so it definitely hurt and scraped my knees, my hands, you know, I got that hit in the chest, so once I fell, I rolled and I was out of breath,” he said. Moreida later spoke at a Woodland City Council meeting Tuesday night and garnered support from the community. Woodland police provide update on investigation Woodland police said Tuesday night that investigators worked around the clock to gather evidence, take statements and review relevant audio and video. “As part of that work, investigators obtained and reviewed additional video footage showing multiple perspectives of the incident, including the interaction between the pedestrian and federal personnel in the minutes before the collision,” Woodland police said. “These images are being reviewed along with other evidence to help establish the full sequence of events, including the actions of both the pedestrian and the driver.” Woodland police said they were not involved in the federal operation and will investigate the collision independently and submit a full investigation to the district attorney’s office for review. “I have seen the video myself and find it very disturbing. I understand why people in our community are upset and concerned,” Woodland Police Chief Ryan Kinnan said in a statement. “Our responsibility is to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation to establish the facts. We recognize the concerns surrounding federal law enforcement activity in Woodland, and the safety and well-being of our community members remains a priority.” The defense attorney says the federal government could take over the case. Sacramento defense attorney Mark Reichel said upon watching the videos that he thought this could be a case of assault with a deadly weapon, and that federal agents could be charged by the state. But even if the district attorney decided to file charges, the case might not come before a judge because the federal government could take over the prosecution, he said. “If the Yolo County prosecutor files a criminal charge and the federal prosecutor here in Sacramento can go to the federal level, take the case to federal court and then prosecute it themselves. And if the Trump administration says don’t prosecute, we know they won’t,” Reichel said. Reichel also said identifying the officer who was driving could be difficult. He noted that if the federal government did not release the agent’s identity, there would be no one to prosecute. California lawmakers speak out House Representative Mike Thompson, who represents the Woodland area, issued the following statement: “ICE cannot continue to terrorize our communities. I am in communication with local authorities, who informed me that ICE was operating the vehicle in question and that an investigation is underway. No one is above the law. ICE’s actions have contributed to increased mistrust and fear within our communities, making transparency and accountability even more critical. Members of our community need to feel insurance”. Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry said on social media, “Our community deserves answers and responsibility.” This content is imported from Facebook. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their website. See what’s new that’s happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at kcra.com/upload. See more coverage of California’s top stories here | Download our application | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source on Google
