In a tense confrontation on Santa Barbara’s Eastside, a man wearing a mask and a vest labeled “Police” is seen pepper spraying a woman early Wednesday in video shared with the Santa Barbara News-Press.
The videos were recorded by community members who have been alerting residents of the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers for several months. The people who provided the videos to the News-Press requested anonymity for fear of retribution from ICE.
ICE did not respond to News-Press attempts to contact the agency.
In one scene of the video, a man is seen pushing and then pepper spraying a woman in the face, sending her head backward, as a crowd screams.
People shout: “Take the mask off, coward.”
In another video, a masked officer is seen pushing a woman’s camera out of the way and then threatening to pepper spray her.
The incident, at Salinas and Carpinteria streets, was recorded by about a dozen people — some in the street and on the sidewalk and others in nearby vehicles.
OrtegaparkSB, a community group run by Andi Garcia, put a statement out on social media about the interaction.
“We had enough,” she said. “Today was unacceptable.”
Community members have been trying to get the Santa Barbara Police Department to protect residents from ICE agents in the community. The men involved in Wednesday’s video were masked and wore vests with “Police” written on them; they presented no outward indications they were federal agents.
Santa Barbara City Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Kristen Sneddon also put out a statement on social media about the incident.
“Today agents created unnecessary fear, injury and chaos in our neighborhoods, wearing masks against state law, brandishing batons, shoving people, pepper-spraying people, blocking intersections in unmarked cars, not identifying themselves,” Sneddon said. “We need answers.”
Below is the full video:
In a statement on social media, the Santa Barbara Police Department said it was unaware of ICE’s presence in the area.
“The Santa Barbara Police Department had no prior knowledge that the ICE agents would be at that location or anywhere in the city of Santa Barbara,” the statement said. “Officers attempted to de-escalate the situation and provide for public safety.”