An immigration officer, Nicholas Rice, has been charged with third-degree assault and criminal mischief after allegedly putting protester Franci Stagi in a chokehold during a demonstration in Durango, Colorado. The protest was against the detention of Colombian asylum-seekers. Videos show Rice pulling Stagi across the street, and she claims he grabbed her hair and put her in a chokehold, causing her injury. The Colorado Bureau of Investigations looked into the incident at the request of the local police chief, despite the Department of Homeland Security’s assertion that only federal agencies can investigate federal officers. Stagi expressed disappointment over the misdemeanor charges, hoping the case highlights the issue of excessive force by immigration officers. The incident raises questions about the balance of power and accountability for federal law enforcement.
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Immigration officer is charged with assault after protest outside Colorado ICE facility, DA says
