2 weeks ago
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A deaf Los Angeles teenager says he was assaulted and taken into custody during a protest in downtown Los Angeles last month by federal immigration officers, who cited him for failing to comply with their directions.
Videos posted on Saturday, Jan. 24 to Instagram show armed agents, wearing U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security uniforms, chasing and tackling 18-year-old Anthony Paredes, seen wearing a red, green and white poncho, to the ground.
Multiple people are heard in the background yelling, “He’s deaf! He cannot hear!” and asking officers not to hurt him. “DHS agents just tackled a young deaf man to the ground,” the caption read. Another read, “DHS puts lives at risk.”
It was not clear what preceded the incident. DHS did not respond to requests for comment over the weekend.
“DHS came outside and started chasing a hearing woman, and ended up chasing me instead,” Paredes, who does not speak, signed on social media. “Because I’m disabled; they took advantage of that. … they targeted me because I’m deaf.”
English (US) ·