The people running the Department of Homeland Security’s X account are frequently criticizing news outlets coverage. Considering DHS’ lack of concern for accuracy, the criticism rings hollow. Today, they criticized an AP story in this way:
This is truly vile, @AP.
Why would you minimize the fact that one of our brave @ICEgov law enforcement officers was dragged by the car by a criminal illegal alien, even as assaults on @ICEgov officers have increased by 1000%.
Stop writing pro-criminal propaganda. It’s pathetic.
That doesn’t sound like the sort of thing that should be coming from the US government.
Their post didn’t link the story, but did show the headline of the story, “Immigration agent who shot man in Chicago-area traffic stop says injuries were ‘nothing major’.” That headline is entirely accurate and simply factual. The headline could have been harsher, here is the Reuters headline from its story covering the situation, “Footage of deadly ICE shooting in Chicago suburb challenges official narrative.”
The AP story itself is equally focused on factual claims instead of a journalist’s opinion.
The story quotes from a Kristi Noem X post, where she wrote in part an ICE “officer was dragged many yards by a car after a criminal illegal alien resisted arrest. His life was put at risk and he sustained serious injuries.”
The story also noted that “Federal officials had previously said the agent suffered ‘multiple’ and ‘serious injuries.’”
Bodycam footage that the AP says was obtained from the Franklin Park police department through a Freedom of Information Act request tells a different story. Here is the story’s coverage:
“I got dragged a little bit,” said the injured agent, who can be seen walking and talking while wearing ripped jeans with blood on them.
The videos show the first agent saying his partner had suffered “a left knee injury and some lacerations to his hands” while speaking over a radio.
“Nothing major,” the injured officer says while putting his arms up to shrug off concerns.
Some of that footage that was included in local news reports shows that the description is accurate.
The AP noted that they didn’t get a response from DHS officials on this story. Which isn’t all that surprising considering the level of discrepancy.
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