Sydney Barragan, Teresa Liu
Los Angeles Daily News
LOS ANGELES — A North Hollywood bystander who found himself staring down the barrel of a masked ICE agent’s gun on Friday says he was trying to be helpful before the agent shoved him into a bush and aimed the weapon at his head.
The episode occurred as the agents were arresting another man, who screamed repeatedly as he was being dragged by his arms and legs toward a vehicle.
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Later, the bystander gave an interview to Los Angeles City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, who posted it on Instagram.
The bystander, who was walking two dogs, said he noticed an ICE agent running after a man and pushing him to the ground. The bystander, who was not named in the interview, said he hollered out for witnesses. He later said he wanted to draw attention to the encounter to ensure the man being arrested was treated humanely.
“More eyes is better,” he said.
He paused to pick up some items that appeared to have been dropped in the struggle. Within seconds, an agent moved in on him, with the agent’s gun inches away from his face.
“I know that was a little fight for them and him, and he dropped some things and I was trying to help him pick them up and trying to return them back to him,” the bystander recounted in the interview, “and I think the cop felt threatened by that and he pulled out his gun on me and then pepper-sprayed me.”
The Department of Homeland Security , in an emailed response to this publication on Saturday, blamed the bystander for creating what they described as a dangerous situation for ICE agents.
The DHS said agents have been increasingly assaulted and on the receiving end of death threats.
As they were trying to arrest the man they had pursued, who was resisting, “a bystander armed with pepper spray encountered the officers, creating a moment of chaos in an otherwise controlled scene. These actions by these individuals created an unnecessarily dangerous, and precarious environment for federal law enforcement as they endeavored to carry out their lawful duties and effect an arrest,” DHS said.
The scene played out by the Ivy at NoHo, an apartment community on Vineland Place and Otsego Street .
Neighbors were upset with what they saw.
“It was a no-questions-asked thing. They just came up on him, and it was a tussle in the bushes,” Damari Butler , who shot a video of the conflict, said on ABC7.
“The guy with the dogs, he stepped in a little bit. The ICE Agent pulled out a gun, backed him up in the bushes with the gun to his face, which was insane,” Butler said. “At that point, I’m going to be honest with you, I thought that was the end for him.”
After the encounter, the bystander, who was not detained by the agents, was able to leave.
The man who was arrested was identified by DHS in its statement as Angel Luis Gonzalez Lobo , 27, from Venezuela .
DHS said Gonzalez Lobo was targeted for arrest after having been issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge following his failure to show up for his court date. “He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and will receive due process,” DHS said.
“It just felt very chaotic,” Butler told ABC7. “It didn’t feel like anybody actually knew what they were doing on that side. It just felt like, if we need to use excessive force to get what we need — do it.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called for an investigation.
“This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in L.A.,” she said in a statement. “I’m engaging the Attorney General’s Office to investigate and prosecute any wrongdoing by these federal agents. Additionally, I referred this matter to the Office of U.S. Representative Robert Garcia , the ranking Democrat leading oversight on federal immigration enforcement abuses.
“We beat Trump and ICE in court, and new state laws have implemented accountability measures for ICE agents to protect our communities,” she said.
Los Angeles City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Nithya Raman wrote on social media: “I am outraged by reports of violent ICE kidnappings in North Hollywood . L.A. is not a playground for the Trump regime’s inhumane operations, and Angelenos should not have to live in fear of going to work, taking their kids to school, or living their life.”
Nazarian was also critical of the ICE agents’ behavior.
“No one should be threatened for looking out for their community. ICE agents do not belong in our city,” he wrote in a text block accompanying his video. “Education, awareness, and knowing your rights are essential, and every person deserves dignity, fair treatment, and due process.”
The bystander said he’d encourage others witnessing immigration enforcement operations to document what they see.
“Record everything,” he said. “That’s your right. That’s the point — that’s supposed to keep you safe, and that’s also gonna keep the other person safe.”
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