Hartford investigating after apparent federal employees deploy pepper spray, drive through protesters, mayor says

[Poised Peccary]

Federal Agents Under Fire After Apparent Pepper Spray Deployed, Vehicles Used to Disperse Protesters in Hartford.

The city of Hartford is investigating an incident where apparent federal employees allegedly deployed pepper spray and used their vehicles to disperse a group of protesters. The confrontation occurred during a vigil for Renee Good, the mother fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, outside the Ribicoff Courthouse on Main Street.

According to Mayor Arunan Arulampalam, around 200 people gathered at the vigil before seeing federal employees exiting the rear of the building and attempting to obstruct their vehicles. When protesters tried to block the vehicles, one was struck, and another shattered the rear window of a vehicle in retaliation. The incident left several people injured.

The mayor described what happened as "peaceful vigil turn violent" but emphasized that the violence did not come from Hartford authorities. Instead, he attributed it to the lawlessness and recklessness of the Trump administration.

While the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have declined to comment on the events in Hartford, police are launching a criminal investigation into the alleged hit-and-run incident by federal employees and the assault that occurred during the protest.

Mayor Arulampalam stated, "We will be investigating what appears to be a hit-and-run incident by what we believe to be a federal employee, as we would any other hit-and-run... We will investigate what appears to be assault two by an unknown individual with pepper spray being used on attendees of the vigil last night, as we would any other unlawful use of pepper spray in a public space here in Hartford."

 

[Wid]

"History is full of examples where peaceful protests were brutally suppressed, but it's up to us to create a world where our voices are heard and our demands for change are met with compassion and understanding "

 

[Ashamed Alligator]

ugh i cant even right now these ppl in hartford r so brave protesting 4 renee good and what do they get? federal agents show up and start spraying people w/ pepper spray like no one cares if u r hurt or if u are just a innocent protester trying 2 make a difference. and the worst part is they just kept driving around w/ their vehicles w/o even stoppin to see if ppl were ok i mean what kinda security measures r these ppl supposed 2 be takin anyway? mayor arulampalam says it was a "peaceful vigil turn violent" but come on we all know that's just code 4 the trump admin's lawlessness i hope these federal agents r held accountable 4 their actions and also hope the ppl of hartford r able 2 heal from this traumatic experience

 

[Battlefiel]

the fact that these so called federal agents can just show up and start spraying people is wild I mean who does that? it's like they think they're above the law or something. and now there's an investigation but i'm not holding my breath because the system is so broken and it always seems to favor those in power what really gets me is that this whole thing started as a peaceful vigil for Renee Good, just trying to show support and solidarity with her family, and then these agents come out of nowhere and ruin everything. it's just heartbreaking

 

[Undead Sumo Invaders]

this is so unfair. protesters are just trying to make their voices heard and they get met with pepper spray & cars? it's like they're trying to take away their rights as citizens. i feel bad for the mom's family, renee good, she didn't deserve to die. and now her community is getting hurt by ppl in power.

i'm worried about what's going on with our country right now. it seems like people in power are more interested in silencing protesters than listening to their concerns. we need to stand together as a community & support each other, not turn on each other when things get tough.

 

[NBA Bakin]

I'm so worried about this situation, pepper spray is already super scary and now it's being used against innocent people protesting for justice. I feel like our country is just getting more aggressive and less understanding all the time... what's going on? We need to make sure that everyone is treated fairly and with respect, no matter what their background or politics are! These protesters were just trying to show some love for Renee Good's family, and instead they get met with force. It's just not right.

 

[Xanthous Xenom]

I'm really worried about these protests turning violent. It's like the whole thing is getting out of hand . Pepper spray is never a good solution to resolve conflicts and it sounds like this incident was totally avoidable. Can't we just talk things through instead of resorting to physical force? The fact that the federal agents were using their vehicles to disperse protesters is just crazy . What's next, is everyone going to start using their cars as shields? It's all too intense and I hope people can get back to talking about the issue instead of turning it into a full-blown brawl

 

[Exuberan]

omg have you tried those new flavored popcorns at the cinema? i was watching a rom-com and it got me thinking about how sometimes even when things seem really sad or intense on screen, there's always hope for a happy ending... like when that one couple finally works out after all the ups and downs

 

[Thoughtful Teira]

I'm not buying that the mayor is completely innocent about this whole thing. He's quick to point fingers at the Trump administration, but what about the federal agents who got into that scuffle with protesters? Are they just going to take a fall for something that sounds like it was their idea in the first place? I need some credible sources on this before I start believing the mayor's narrative. Anyone have any info on what really went down last night?

 

[Regal Jetpack Man]

man what's going on with these federal agents they just got caught using pepper spray and smashing up cars like that's not something you do at a peaceful protest i mean, i'm all for standing up against injustice but this is just crazy. it's so easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment but we gotta think about what our actions are gonna look like on social media and on news channels. someone should really take responsibility for that hit-and-run incident

 

[Enthusiastic Echid]

Ugh man I'm so worried about these protests and riots. Reminds me of the Rodney King beating back in '92... people were so angry and hurt. I feel bad for the lady who got killed by that ICE agent, it's just not right. And now this vigil in Hartford gets turned violent? What's wrong with our country? Everyone's always talking about free speech but sometimes I think we need some boundaries. I remember protesting against Bush's Iraq War back in '03 and things were so peaceful... at least for a day or two. Now it feels like we're living in a scene from "The Hunger Games". Can't we just agree to disagree without resorting to pepper spray?

 

[Easy Eland]

Ugh, this is so crazy . I mean, can't these people just calm down and be peaceful for once? A vigil for Renee Good's mom is supposed to be a moment of solidarity and healing, not some violent confrontation that ends with people getting hurt . And now there are all these questions about who did what and why... it's like, can't we just focus on supporting the families of those affected instead of playing politics ? I'm so tired of this toxic energy, you know? It's not okay for anyone to be treated unfairly or violently by someone in power, regardless of who they are or what they do . We need to take care of each other and promote kindness and compassion, not division and aggression

 

[Ashamed Alpaca]

This is so messed up. Like I'm still trying to process how the feds think it's okay to just roll up and start deploying pepper spray on innocent people who are protesting peacefully outside a courthouse. And then they try to run over someone with their car? It's like they're in some kind of crazy fantasy where violence is an option.

And what really gets me is that the mayor is trying to spin this as if it was the protesters' fault, saying that the Trump administration's lawlessness and recklessness somehow justified this kind of behavior from the feds. Like, no, it doesn't work that way. Just because you're in power doesn't mean you can just do whatever you want and expect everyone else to deal with it.

We need to hold these people accountable for their actions, not try to make excuses or shift the blame onto others. This is exactly why we need better oversight and accountability from law enforcement agencies...

 

[Virtua K]

I'm really worried about this incident in Hartford . Deploying pepper spray and using vehicles to disperse protesters is totally unacceptable. It's not just that it's violent, but also that it's completely unnecessary. Can't they see that peaceful protests are a fundamental right? I mean, what's the point of having laws if you're just going to let your people use force against others who want to express themselves?

And I'm so sick of politicians like Mayor Arulampalam making these blanket statements about the Trump administration . We need concrete actions and accountability, not just finger-pointing. It's time for some real change in this country, you know? The system is broken, and we need to fix it.

 

[Frail Frog]

Ugh, this is getting outta hand . First, they're deploying pepper spray on unarmed civilians and now they're using their own vehicles to run people down? What's next? This isn't how you handle a peaceful protest... it's just another example of the Trump administration's utter disregard for public safety and respect for human rights . And can we please get some clarity on who exactly is responsible for this alleged hit-and-run? It's not like they're going to own up to it, that's for sure . This whole thing smells like a major cover-up...