The video of this incident is just as bad as it sounds. The priest is standing there, not doing anything remotely illegal, and without warning a masked DHS agent on the roof shoots him in the top of his head with a pepper ball. https://t.co/uSerg1H5oX pic.twitter.com/UvP3bZ7yJn
— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@ReichlinMelnick) October 8, 2025
An ICE Agent was filmed shooting a pepper ball (from a roof) at Rev. David Black who was praying for the repentance of ICE agents. The chemical weapon forced Black to his knees while others came to his aid.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary Dept. of Homeland Security, justified the assault on Black by trying to blame him for “blocking an ICE vehicle from leaving the federal facility” even though there is no vehicle in sight and Black was near a fence.
This footage is from almost a month ago. What this clipped video doesn’t show is that these agitators were blocking an ICE vehicle from leaving the federal facility—impeding operations.
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) October 8, 2025
Over and over again, law enforcement ordered these agitators to move off of federal property… https://t.co/vJVAuD9YFE
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, of the American Immigration Council, noted that a federal court cited this incident to grant a Temporary Restraining Order against ICE.
UPDATE: A federal court cites this exact incident against Reverend Black as one reason to grant a Temporary Restraining Order requiring ICE to limit the use of force against journalists and against clergy engaged in nonviolent protest. pic.twitter.com/PdOwzx8Yvc
— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@ReichlinMelnick) October 8, 2025
(Sources: Twitter/X)