WORCESTER — The video taken outside in a Worcester neighborhood is gaining national attention. It shows ice agents detaining 40-year-old Rosane Ferreira de Oliveira, a Brazilian national, last week.
Neighbors and city leaders rushed the scene, resulting in Worcester police arresting two people including a School Committee candidate.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Boston 25 News that Ferreira de Oliveira is in the country illegally and faces previous criminal assault charges.
An ICE official says Worcester police arrested Ferreira de Oliveira back on Feb. 1 on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a pregnant woman.
The arrest has sparked protests by the community.
The Worcester police union released a statement on Friday saying officers were there to protect the public and to ensure the federal agents could do their jobs safely.
Police union officials also accuse City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj of encouraging the crowd to act aggressively towards police.
The police union is calling for an ethics investigation into Haxhiaj, saying she is “unfit to serve” and accusing the local councilor of using her elected position to incite aggression towards police officers.
“This councilor participated in the conduct of the unruly crowd and eventually assaulted both Worcester police and federal law enforcement officers on scene,” Worcester Police Patrol Officers’ Union Local 911 President Thomas Duffy said in a statement Friday.
“Her behavior also emboldened others to act in this manner,” Duffy said. “The conduct of this anti-police activist councilor is deplorable and unacceptable.”
“Regardless of political opinions or views, city officials should never condone the assault of an officer and flat-out disregard to the point of violent opposition, the authority of police to maintain safety and public order,” Duffy said.
“We will take the necessary steps to hold her and anyone who assaults our officers accountable and call upon those state and local policy makers to do the same,” Duffy said.
Earlier Friday during a press conference, Haxhiaj said, “The message to our city manager, our police department and every single member of this community is that the response yesterday from the federal government and the police department was completely unacceptable.”
On Monday, we had the opportunity to ask Worcester County officials about the incident.
When asked how the department is moving forward after the incident, and whether he believes officers responded appropriately, Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early said, he could not speak for the police department.
“I can’t speak for the department, I know you have a great chief and he always looks at things after the fact, what do we do well, what could we do better,” Early said. “You know that’s just part of life and they’ve been a great partner with us.”
Boston 25 has reached out to the police union for further comment on Monday.
Haxhiaj’s office said she will not comment at this time.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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