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Fact check: Ice pepper sprayed chicago pd
Executive Summary
A review of contemporaneous reporting finds that multiple accounts document federal agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deploying chemical irritants, including pepper balls and tear gas, at protests outside the Broadview, Illinois detention center in September 2025, and that a CBS reporter’s vehicle was reportedly struck by pepper balls during those events [1] [2]. There is no reliable evidence in the supplied reports that the Chicago Police Department used pepper spray in these incidents; the documented uses of force are attributed to ICE and other federal agents. [3] [4].
1. What reporters and witnesses say about agents firing on a vehicle — an explosive claim that drew local scrutiny
Multiple news reports on September 28 and surrounding dates record that a CBS Chicago reporter, Asal Rezaei, was in her truck near the Broadview ICE facility when a masked federal agent fired pepper balls that struck her vehicle and caused acute symptoms described as her face feeling “on fire” [1]. Local Broadview police announced an investigation into the incident, and these accounts describe visible white residue on the windshield consistent with projectile chemical agents. These contemporaneous descriptions establish that federal officers, not Chicago police, are the primary actors in the vehicle incident as reported. [1].
2. Protest chronology and tactics — patterns of crowd control that frame the claims
Reporting from mid-to-late September documents a sustained series of demonstrations outside the Broadview detention center where ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers used tear gas, pepper balls, and non-lethal projectiles against crowds blocking facility egress on multiple dates [2] [5] [6]. Journalists and activists reported agents firing from rooftops and ground positions and deploying chemical agents into dense crowds; protesters arrived wearing gas masks and protective gear to reduce harm. These accounts show a pattern of federal crowd-control measures across several days rather than an isolated single-day episode. [2] [5].
3. Local law enforcement’s role — strained relations and resource diversion
Broadview’s police chief told reporters that his department was devoting about 75% of its manpower to crowd control during the demonstrations and reported direct confrontations with at least one ICE agent, reflecting friction between local authorities and federal officers [7]. Broadview police acknowledged being affected by released irritants, and the mayor publicly criticized ICE in a letter, indicating political and operational tensions that shape how incidents are reported and investigated. These statements clarify that local police were present but not identified as the source of pepper-spray or pepper-ball deployment in the cited articles. [7].
4. Conflicting or absent attributions — the key gap in claims that Chicago PD used pepper spray
Across the supplied reports, chemical-agent use is consistently attributed to ICE or other federal agents; none of the pieces provide evidence that the Chicago Police Department deployed pepper spray in these Broadview incidents [3] [4] [8]. Some coverage notes Border Patrol or other federal presence downtown, but does not link Chicago PD to the tactical deployments described at Broadview. This absence of attribution in multiple contemporaneous accounts creates a clear distinction between the reported actions of federal agents and the unsubstantiated claim that Chicago police sprayed pepper on protesters. [3] [4].
5. Multiple viewpoints and potential agendas — how source framing matters
News outlets and local officials emphasize different elements: eyewitness and journalist trauma, activist accounts of indiscriminate force, and municipal concern over federal tactics and resource strain. Activist sources frame the actions as excessive and targeted, while ICE and federal perspectives in the reporting emphasize crowd control against obstruction; Broadview officials highlight strain on local resources [5] [2] [7]. These framing differences suggest competing agendas: activists seek to highlight civil-rights harms, local leaders push for accountability, and federal actors defend operational choices. [5] [2] [7].
6. What investigations and next steps were reported — accountability in motion
Broadview police publicly announced an investigation into the episode involving the reporter’s vehicle, signaling formal scrutiny of federal conduct [1]. Separately, reporting notes federal charges in connection with protests and continued media attention to how ICE handles demonstrations [3]. The existence of investigations means that facts remain subject to official findings and potential disclosures, and contemporaneous reporting should be updated as investigative results and agency statements become available. [1] [3].
7. Bottom line for the original claim — separating verified facts from overreach
Based on the assembled, dated accounts from late September 2025, the verified facts are that ICE and other federal agents used pepper balls and tear gas at the Broadview detention center and that a reporter’s vehicle was reportedly struck; the supplied reporting does not substantiate claims that the Chicago Police Department deployed pepper spray in these events [1] [2] [3]. Readers should treat assertions about Chicago PD involvement as unverified until investigators or additional reporting produce direct evidence linking the city police to those specific uses of chemical agents. [1] [3].