Photo: Nashua Circuit Court
A Venezuelan man, Arnuel Marquez Colmenarez, was tackled by federal agents at a New Hampshire courthouse after attempting to flee. The incident occurred as agents tried to detain him quietly in an elevator. Colmenarez, 33, was in the U.S. illegally and was at the courthouse for an arraignment on charges including drunken driving and driving without a license.
Video footage from February 20, released by the Nashua Circuit Court, shows Colmenarez entering an elevator with agents. As the elevator emptied, an agent touched Colmenarez on the shoulder, prompting him to flee. Two agents pursued and tackled him, inadvertently knocking down an elderly man with a cane, as reported by the New York Post. The elderly man was seen lying on his back during the incident, but it is unclear if he was injured.
Jared Neff, a court liaison officer, heard the commotion and assisted in restraining Colmenarez. Neff noted that Colmenarez resisted arrest. The agents explained they were ordered to detain illegal immigrants and attempted to do so discreetly in the elevator. A bench warrant was issued for Colmenarez after he failed to appear for his arraignment, although he was already in custody. He is currently held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Texas.
The arrest followed President Donald Trump's repeal of a 2011 policy that discouraged arrests at public places like courthouses.