ICE protester found not guilty of assaulting federal agent during LA County demonstration
ICE protester found not guilty of assaulting federal agent during LA County demonstration
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A jury on Wednesday found a man not guilty of assaulting a federal agent during June’s immigration enforcement protests in Los Angeles County.
This is the first of dozens of similar cases in LA County to go through federal court.
Brayan Ramos-Brito was accused of assaulting a federal agent during a protest outside the Homeland Security Investigations building in Paramount. Initially, federal authorities charged him with a felony but reduced it to misdemeanor assault of a federal officer.
During the two-day trial, U.S. Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino testified that he witnessed Ramos-Brito strike the agent with an open palm. Multiple videos showing Ramos-Brito were displayed during the trial, one of which showed a Border Patrol officer shoving Ramos-Brito during the June 7 protest. The other videos did not clearly show Ramos-Brito striking the agent.
The jury deliberated for about an hour on Wednesday before delivering its verdict of not guilty.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles declined to comment on the verdict but said it has secured several guilty pleas in similar cases.
A spokesperson provided three examples, all of which agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor assault on a federal officer after brokering deals with prosecutors.
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