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A Person’s Actions Can Reveal Intent
Did the ICE agent run over the man on purpose? You be the judge.
I had not paid much attention to this story until I glanced at the television and saw the video. What caught my attention was the SUV being driven toward a running man and striking him. My reaction was immediate: the driver aimed that vehicle at him.
On October 10, an ICE agent driving an unmarked SUV struck Miguel Parra-Hernandez during an immigration operation near Clay Road and Highway 6 in west Harris County. ICE’s explanation was that Parra-Hernandez “ran in front of an ICE vehicle and was struck.” abc7.com
That sentence puts the man’s running at the center of the explanation. The driver’s steering and acceleration deserve the same attention. Scripps reports that the SUV accelerated into the parking lot in Parra-Hernandez’s direction and that the footage shows it veering toward him. A parked pickup obscures the exact impact in that surveillance angle; the man is visible on the ground moments later. scrippsnews.com
A person’s actions can reveal intent. We make that judgment by considering what someone did, the circumstances, and the result. A confession is not the only evidence available.
If a person points a gun at someone’s head and fires, a later claim that “I did not intend to shoot him” must be weighed against those actions. With a vehicle, the questions are equally concrete: Where did the driver steer? Did he accelerate toward the person? What did he do to avoid hitting him?
My reading of the video is that the agent deliberately drove toward the fleeing man. That conclusion deserves to be tested against every available recording and the physical evidence.
Experienced Investigators Are Asking the Same Question
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said multiple investigators with decades of experience examining vehicle-pedestrian collisions reviewed the surveillance footage and the scene and believe the strike was not accidental. His office is investigating possible aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, with further crash-reconstruction and use-of-force analysis needed. That is a preliminary assessment, not a completed prosecution. houstonchronicle.com
The injuries are serious. FIEL Houston clarified on October 12 that both of Parra-Hernandez’s legs were injured, but only his right leg was broken—in three places. He has undergone surgery and remains in ICE custody at the hospital, according to FIEL. click2houston.com
Investigators should obtain and preserve every available camera recording, interview witnesses, and examine the SUV’s movements. The agent’s explanation should be tested against that evidence with the same scrutiny we would expect for any other driver.
Watch the video. Follow the man’s path, then follow the SUV’s path. Consider the steering, the acceleration, and the outcome.
Did the agent run over him on purpose? You be the judge.
As I watched the video, it reminded me of old movies about bounties put on people. The ICE agents’ actions reminded me of those movies.
