“You don’t f— with ICE. We are here,” agents responded, according to the claim.
Speaking at a press conference to media Thursday with his legal team, Shouhed described his experience.
“Three big people were sitting on my back, the way they tore me down… I was begging them,” Shouhed said. “I have a heart condition.”
The claim alleges that authorities identified Shouhed as a U.S. citizen shortly after his arrival at the Metropolitan Detention Center but continued to hold him for nearly 12 hours without medical attention.
The tort claim, filed against the Department of Homeland Security and its sub-agencies, alleges assault, battery, civil rights violations and deliberate indifference to serious medical conditions. It also claims these agencies maintain policies that “tolerate and condone the use of excessive force.”
“This was an outrageous and unlawful assault on a 79-year-old American citizen in his own place of business,” V. James DeSimone, Shouhed’s attorney said in a press release. “If this can happen in broad daylight to an American senior citizen who committed no crime, it can happen to anyone.”
According to the claim, Shouhed temporarily closed his business after employees, including U.S. citizens, became too afraid to return to work.
Federal officials have not yet responded to the claim, DeSimone told ABC News.
ABC News reached out to DHS about Shouhed’s tort claim, but has yet to hear back.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/
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