SUFFOLK, Va. — An undocumented Guatemalan immigrant seen in a now viral video outside a hospital in Suffolk being tackled and punched repeatedly during an arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents has agreed to voluntarily depart the country, an ICE spokesperson confirmed to News 3 Monday.
The video of the incident taken near Sentara Belle Harbour Hospital shows officers tackling and striking the man, identified as Victor Alfredo Perez Martin.
Perez Martin was arrested during what ICE called a "targeted enforcement operation." They say he resisted arrest and ran toward the hospital.
In the video, three agents are seen tackling Perez Martin to the ground, and then continue punching and kneeing him in the stomach and back. A fourth agent runs in and helps the others get him to lie down.
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Perez Martin was taken to the ICE field office in Norfolk where he declined medical treatment, ICE said. He accepted voluntarily departure and will be removed from the U.S. "as soon as possible."
Sentara told News 3 Monday afternoon that they were not involved.
“We are aware of the incident near the entrance to the Sentara BelleHarbour campus on Bridge Road in Suffolk.” said Dale Gauding, a Sentara spokesperson. "Sentara personnel were not involved and had no contact with law enforcement or the person arrested."
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