A 70-year-old US Air Force veteran is considering a civil lawsuit after all charges against him were dropped following his arrest at an anti-ICE protest in Illinois. Dana Briggs had been charged with felony assault on a federal officer, but the Department of Justice moved to dismiss the case after video evidence contradicted the allegations.
The incident occurred during a protest against immigration raids at an ICE detention facility in Broadview, Illinois. Body-worn camera footage reviewed by a federal magistrate showed masked agents advancing on Briggs and knocking him over. Despite this, prosecutors initially alleged he made physical contact with an agent's arm.
Briggs told the Guardian he is now exploring legal action over his treatment. “I stood up for something I believe in and will continue to do so, until my last breath,” he said. He described being handcuffed to a hospital bed after suffering cuts and bruises from being knocked down and zip-tied.
The US Attorney's office did not explain why charges were dropped but said it continuously reviews cases from Operation Midway Blitz, a major law enforcement surge in the region. The case drew national attention, with condemnation from military veterans in Congress.
Briggs' case is one of several identified by the Guardian where veterans faced arrest and injury in confrontations with federal agents. In a separate incident, Afghanistan war veteran Sean Charles Dunn was acquitted of assault after throwing a sandwich at a border agent.
