The Department of Justice charged a 70-year-old Air Force veteran with felony assault after a video showed a Department of Homeland Security agent pushing him to the ground.
In a video captured by writer Amanda Moore on Saturday, Dana Briggs was seen participating in a protest outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Illinois.
Moore described the incident: "After conducting another arrest, agents were backing into the facility, nearing the gate to the grounds. Just as they reached the fence, they changed course and began moving forward, yelling at protesters to get out of the road. Briggs asks why, and an agent appears to push him, knocking him to the ground."
The Justice Department alleged that Briggs "made physical contact with an agent’s arm while the agent attempted to extend the safety perimeter around the facility."
A charging document claimed Briggs' actions caused the agent to "experience pain" in his wrist.
Three other protesters were also charged with felony assault. Another faced misdemeanor charges of forcibly resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with a federal officer.
