ICE Agent Shoots Dominican Man 7 Times in NYC with 5-Year-Old Son in Car: What We Know

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are investigating the ICE shooting in New York that left Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old Dominican man, wounded in the neck while his 5-year-old son was in the back seat of his van. The man, who is in stable condition, was taken out of the hospital by federal agents on the night of Thursday, October 8, after Mayor Zohran Mamdani attempted to negotiate his release with President Donald Trump.

• According to New York City Police (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch, at least one ICE agent fired seven shots in Marble Hill, in northern Manhattan, near 4 p.m.
• The child did not suffer physical injuries and was left in the care of relatives, according to the NYPD.
• The DHS is defending the operation, stating that Belgal has a criminal record, ties to the Trinitarios gang, and rammed ICE vehicles.
• Four protesters were arrested outside the hospital, according to ABC7 New York.

Why it matters: the case raises a question that is repeated across the country: how far can force be used in a migrant arrest, especially when there are children in the car and on the street? Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul are calling for an end to ICE operations in the state; the federal government is blaming sanctuary policies.

Latest Developments

Early on Friday, October 9, News 12 The Bronx reported that the FBI and DHS are investigating the case. A video released by News 12 shows the child approaching his father, who is handcuffed on the pavement, shouting in Spanish «my dad.»

Tisch explained in a nighttime press conference that an NYPD video shows a federal agent in plain clothes approaching the driver’s window with a gun in hand, and another agent in front of the van. The vehicle moved forward and left the frame; the camera did not capture the shots, according to Gothamist. The police found seven shell casings and damage to the windshield and rear window.

Mamdani said he spent two hours on the phone with Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. «Those negotiations were unsuccessful. A few moments ago, ICE put the man in an unmarked vehicle and took him away,» he stated, according to amNewYork.

Timeline (Eastern Time)

• Thursday, October 8, 4:00 p.m.: ICE agents conduct an operation to arrest Belgal on Marble Hill Avenue and West 225th Street, according to the DHS and NYPD.
• 4:04 p.m.: The NYPD receives two 911 calls about shots fired. Police find Belgal handcuffed and take him to NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital.
• Late evening: The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) claims that an ICE agent fired the shot. Mamdani posts on X that he called Trump.
• Night: The DHS identifies the wounded man as a Dominican with a criminal record. Hundreds of people protest outside the hospital in Inwood, with signs reading «ICE OUT.»
• Near 11 p.m.: ICE agents take Belgal out of the hospital in unmarked vehicles, according to ABC7. Four protesters are arrested for obstruction.
• Friday, October 9, morning: The FBI and DHS continue their investigation.

What the Government and Critics Are Saying

According to the DHS, the agents were looking for a «criminal alien» with a conviction for grand larceny and previous arrests for assault, robbery, drugs, and weapons possession, linked to the Trinitarios gang. The DHS added that the NYPD arrested Belgal on December 7, 2023, and that he was released days later due to sanctuary policies. According to NBC New York, the DHS claims that Belgal «rammed» ICE vehicles when they tried to block his path.

Tisch specified that Belgal has two arrests in the city: one in 2023 for robbery, which ended in a guilty plea for fourth-degree grand larceny and five years of probation, and another in 2025 for selling drugs, which is still pending.

Mamdani described a street filled with families: «Classes had just ended. The street was filled with families and children,» he said, according to Good Morning America. Witnesses cited by ABC7 claimed that a nearby school had just let out. «I will not stand idly by while ICE agents terrorize our communities,» the mayor wrote, calling for the abolition of the agency.

«New Yorkers are outraged tonight. Immigrant communities are terrified. And we are demanding answers,» Hochul said, who also spoke with Trump and Mullin. Make the Road New York called the incident «horrible and heartbreaking» and demanded a thorough investigation, according to EFE.

Rules on Shooting at a Moving Vehicle

The DHS’s use of force policy, updated in 2023, prohibits shooting at the driver of a moving vehicle, unless lethal force is justified. Additionally, it cannot be used «solely to prevent the escape» of a person. Before shooting, the agent must consider the danger that an out-of-control vehicle poses to innocent bystanders. The investigations will have to determine if the Marble Hill case followed these rules.

This is not an isolated case. According to a Newsweek count, federal immigration agents had shot at 11 people in 2026 as of September. The most well-known case was that of Renee Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen killed in January in Minneapolis when an ICE agent shot at her car.

What You Can Do If ICE Comes to Your Home, Car, or Workplace

• You have the right to remain silent and not sign documents without speaking to a lawyer first.
• Do not open the door if they do not show you a warrant signed by a judge. An ICE administrative warrant is not enough to enter your home.
• If you are stopped in your car, keep your hands visible, do not make sudden movements, and do not try to flee.
• Free legal help in New York: ActionNYC (call 311 and say «ActionNYC» or dial 1-800-354-0365) and the New Americans Office hotline, 1-800-566-7636.

Sources: EFE; Gothamist; amNewYork; ABC7 New York; ABC7 New York (arrests); NBC New York; Good Morning America; News 12 The Bronx; DHS, use of force policy; Newsweek; ActionNYC. Data consulted on October 9, 2026.