Federal agents threw tear spray into a man and daughter's car for no reason
A Berwyn man has spoken out after a dramatic incident in which his family was hit by pepper spray thrown into their car by federal agents in a Chicago parking lot. Rafael Verazu, who was leaving a supermarket parking lot with his window rolled down, was hit directly in the head by the spray, according to CBS.
His one-year-old daughter, Arinna, was sitting in the back seat and began having trouble breathing. However, he ended up hospitalized. In fact, being asthmatic, he immediately began choking. "When I got to the hospital, my heart rate was 263 beats per minute," he said.
Witnesses outside the supermarket also described the agents' inadequate behaviour. They said the Customs and Border Protection chief threw a blinding grenade on the ground and immediately pulled out another, shouting that he would throw that one too.
The Department of Homeland Security responded that agents were on the scene after the incident in the Little Village neighborhood. The intervention resulted in a pursuit that led them to the aforementioned parking lot. There, they reportedly crashed into one of the cars.
The entire incident took place just days after a court ordered restrictions on the use of force by federal troops. The Department of Justice has appealed.
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