Days ahead of trial, a federal judge has dismissed an indictment against a TikTok streamer shot by ICE earlier this year, citing constitutional violations by the government.
In a Saturday order, U.S. District Judge Fernando M. Olguin cited the deprivation of Carlitos Ricardo Parias’ access to counsel while held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention and the government’s failure to comply with discovery deadlines — including the timely release of body worn camera footage that captured the shooting.
Federal authorities had accused Parias, a well-known TikTok streamer of local breaking news, of ramming his car into agents’ vehicles after they boxed him in and tried to arrest him during an immigration enforcement operation in South L.A. in October. An ICE officer opened fire, striking Parias in the arm and injuring a deputy U.S. marshal with a ricochet bullet.
Ah. So, the case was dismissed because the government didn’t release the bodycam footage that would have shown the defendant using his car to ram officers’ vehicles.
Maybe because the bodycam footage, and I am wildly guessing, did not show the defendant using his car to ram officers’ vehicles, because (wild guess again!) they rammed his car instead?