Federal immigration vehicle hits pedestrian in Woodland, police say

By Richard Ramos

Woodland police are investigating after a vehicle operated by federal immigration authorities struck a pedestrian Tuesday morning.

Officers responded shortly after 9:30 a.m. to the area of Locust and Clover streets, the Woodland Police Department said.

The pedestrian suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene before being taken to an area hospital, police said. NorCal Resist, an immigrant advocacy organization, said the person was stable but described them as being “scraped up.”

Woodland police said the agents in the vehicle were conducting a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in the area when the collision happened. The driver alerted local authorities and remained cooperative, police added.

NorCal Resist posted footage of the collision to their social media pages, showing a man, Antonio Moreida, being knocked to the ground. Woodland police said it has since reviewed multiple angles of footage of the incident, including the minutes of interaction between Moreida and federal personnel leading up to it.

Woodland police said the actions of both parties are under review. The department said the federal agency has been notified of the investigation and that it has requested ICE’s full cooperation.

“I’ve seen the video myself, and I find it very troubling. I understand why people in our community are upset and worried,” Woodland Police Chief Kinnan said in a statement. “Our responsibility is to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation to establish the facts. We recognize the concerns surrounding federal law enforcement activity in Woodland, and the safety and well-being of our community members remain a priority.”  

Moreida is a student at Woodland Community College and a volunteer with NorCal Resist. He told CBS News Sacramento that he went to the neighborhood after hearing reports of an ICE operation with the hopes of documenting it and alerting nearby residents.

He said he began recording people he believed were federal immigration officers and asked them to identify themselves. CBS News Sacramento obtained additional footage recorded by Moreida showing the front end of the vehicle striking him as he was recording in the middle of the street.

“I took the corner of the car to the chest,” Moreida told CBS News Sacramento. “When I first hit the ground, I had the wind knocked out of me. That was my first reaction.”

CBS News Sacramento has made multiple attempts to reach out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for comment but has not received a response.

Tuesday’s Woodland City Council meeting ended up being a packed house with community members showing voicing their concerns and showing their support for Moerida, who was also in attendance and spoke.

The incident prompted criticism from state and federal lawmakers, who called for accountability and a thorough investigation.  

Democratic U.S. House Rep. Mike Thompson, whose district includes Woodland, said he was in communication with local law enforcement, who informed him that federal immigration authorities were operating the vehicle involved.

“ICE cannot continue to terrorize our communities … No one is above the law,” Thompson said in a statement.

Thompson also said the incident highlights the need for transparency and accountability, citing what he described as growing distrust and fear within communities.

“Members of our community need to feel safe,” he said.

California Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, whose District 4 also includes Woodland, called for “a full investigation by local and state authorities because we can’t rely on this federal administration to investigate itself.”

“This kind of behavior is unacceptable and falls short of the standards of professionalism and restraint our communities have every right to expect from law enforcement,” Aguiar-Curry said.

The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office released a statement saying it was aware of the incident but could not comment further due to the investigation being active. Woodland police said, once complete, a full investigation would be sent to the district attorney’s office for review.