Brookfield police have charged an agent of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with one count of misdemeanor battery in the case of a civilian lawyer who was attacked on Dec. 27 in town.
In an emailed statement on Thursday, Jan. 22, Brookfield Police Chief Michael Kuruvilla said the offender had been “charged, cited and released” after cooperating with Brookfield investigators. A court date has been set but was not specified in the statement.
Reporting on Jan. 23 by the New York Times refers to the man, Adam Saracco, as an ICE agent who was off duty at the time of the incident. The Times reported that Saracco was at the gas station in Brookfield after leaving the federal immigrant detention center in Broadview.
Kuruvilla said the case was reviewed by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, which declined to file felony charges in favor of a misdemeanor charge.
Robert Held, the man who was attacked, said he spoke with Brookfield police on Wednesday, Jan. 21, about updates on the case.
“I was pleased that there was accountability. They did a thorough investigation. They conducted themselves professionally, and I am pleased that justice will be done,” he told the Landmark Thursday.
Held called the development a “credit to the Brookfield police.”
“It seems like this is something rare, where a federal agent is actually charged for their criminal conduct,” he said.
Earlier this month, Held told the Landmark he had been filming Saracco from the sidewalk as he was stopped at the Shell gas station at 31st Street and Maple Avenue after following him from the Broadview detention center. Then, Saracco approached him and “threw [Held] to the ground.”
Saracco “aggressively was on top of me, trying to grab my phone,” Held said then. “I’m 68. I have an artificial hip. My strength and flexibility are not great, and I used all my might to hold onto my phone.”
Held initially said he believed the battery could be a felony due to his age and the fact that he was standing on a public sidewalk when it occurred.
“The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office reviews the available facts and relevant law when making charging decisions. After a thorough review of the investigation presented by law enforcement, our office recommended proceeding on a misdemeanor charge of battery, which local police then filed,” a representative said in a prepared statement. “Our office does not comment further on pending cases.”
“It is gross that our officer is facing charges for responding to a direct threat against him and his safety. We stand firmly behind our officer. We won’t accept this; stay tuned,” said Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in a prewritten statement.
She described Held as a “known ICE agitator” who made “clear attempts to dox our officer” by filming him at the gas station while off duty.
“The officer, who was alone and without protective equipment, acted to protect himself when faced with this threatening behavior,” she said.
This is a developing story. It will be updated as more information becomes available.
