Video: Federal officers drive through anti-ICE protest in Hartford, striking one person

Hartford police are pursuing possible criminal charges against federal officers who used pepper spray and drove through a crowd of protesters on Thursday, according to the city's mayor.

Roughly 200 people gathered outside the Abraham A. Ribicoff Federal Building at a vigil in memory of Renee Macklin Good, the woman fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis earlier this week.

While the event was underway, a group of protesters on the other side of the building tried to block several vehicles from exiting onto the street. Witnesses said the protesters were attempting to stop what they thought was a detainee removal by ICE.

Video captured by Connecticut Public shows a masked man using pepper spray to disperse the crowd. A sedan gradually advanced into the group, pushing back several people lined up against its front bumper. Moments later, a white van followed behind it, driving toward a person who can be seen in its path.

Video shows someone appearing to strike the rear window of the van, shattering the glass.

At a press conference Friday, Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said at least one person was struck by the vehicles, which local authorities believe were driven by federal officers.

Arulampalam said Hartford police are now investigating potential hit-and-run and assault charges against those involved. They are also investigating who broke the window of the van.

“We're going to investigate it, we're going to determine who was involved, and if they violated the law here in the city of Hartford, they're going to face consequences,” Arulampalam said.

Arulampalam said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not provided “any level of coordination or cooperation” in the investigation. He said the agency indicated it's conducting its own investigation out of a field office in Boston.

“We're in uncharted territory,” Arulampalam said. “This cycle of violence came from the White House, and it has been perpetuated across cities all across America.”

In a written statement issued Friday night, a DHS spokesperson acknowledged federal officers were involved in the incident. The statement did not address the city's criminal investigation.

The spokesperson said those who obstruct law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and called on "sanctuary politicians to stop encouraging radical activists to confront and impede ICE and Border Patrol agents."

“On the evening of Jan. 8, a mob of radical agitators in Hartford, Connecticut, attempted to obstruct federal law enforcement officers by trying to block their vehicles and broke a window of a law enforcement vehicle," the statement reads. "Make no mistake – obstructing federal law enforcement officers during the performance of their duties is not only dangerous but also illegal."

U.S. Rep. John Larson, a Democrat, said in a statement that he stands with the mayor “in calling for transparency and accountability” regarding the havoc that unfolded.

“Protesters gathered peacefully to honor a life lost in Minneapolis and instead found themselves in a confrontation that was entirely predictable given how this administration has empowered federal agents to act with impunity,” Larson said.

State Rep. Vincent Candelora, the Republican House minority leader, said investigating the incident will be a “tall task.”

“I'm not sure the federal government is going to cede their jurisdiction to criminal activity over to a local law enforcement authority,” Candelora said. “To create that rhetoric and impression that we at the local level have some control over this, to me, it's irresponsible.”

State Sen. Stephen Harding, the Republican Senate minority leader, called for an end to "amped up rhetoric" and violence while the investigation plays out.

"Anyone who doesn’t like how the law is enforced is free to advocate for different laws, and to protest peacefully," he said. "Here in Connecticut, Republicans continue to support legal immigration, law enforcement and victims of violent crime while demanding safer streets and respect for the taxpayers’ money."

This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by Connecticut Public.

Mark Mirko and Daniela Doncel contributed to this report.

Arunan Arulampalam's father-in-law is Gregory B. Butler, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of Connecticut Public.