FOREST PARK, Ill. (WGN) — More accusations of heavy-handed policing have been made concerning Operation Midway Blitz, as a pair of US citizens say they were unlawfully maced and arrested Tuesday afternoon in south suburban Forest Park after attempting to help a struggling man on the Des Plaines River.Witnesses say United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were trying to persuade the unidentified man in the river to surrender, but not before the agents clashed with a group of concerned Concordia Cemetery workers. OPERATION MIDWAY BLITZ | Pritzker to Trump: ‘Come and get me’ “We thought he was in harm’s way because he was in the river and we’re trying to see what’s going on,” said cemetery worker Daniel Greer.ICE agent: “Get on the ground, now!”Worker: “For what?”ICE agent: “Get on the ground!““Once they breached the gate, they pepper-sprayed us immediately, with their guns drawn, and then proceeded to tackle us onto the ground,” added cemetery worker David Eichler.Worker: “This is private property!”ICE agent: “Just open the gate, buddy.”In a cell phone video obtained by WGN-TV, federal agents appear to order Concordia Cemetery workers to open the cemetery gate onto private property to pursue a man in the Des Plaines River.Worker: “He’s on the riverbank on the other side. He’s not on this side.”Eichler, who, along with fellow cemetery workers, recorded cell phone video of the incident, bore the brunt of what appeared to be agents firing some non-lethal self-defense spray.Worker: “The person you’re pursuing, are they on this property?”ICE agent: “You guys are done!”“I couldn’t breathe,” the 30-year-old Eichler said. “I couldn’t see.”The Chicago native told WGN-TV that it would be hours before he and other workers involved received medical treatment, according to Eichler.“Zip ties behind our backs, shackles on our ankles. We were just in custody until they came with the transport,” he said. “If this happened to me, a US citizen, who’s to say what they’ll do to somebody else?” OPERATION MIDWAY BLITZ | Texas and Illinois National Guard troops stationed in Elwood amid controversy over federal deployment The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Public Affairs Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin released the following statement:“On October 7, ICE encountered two illegal aliens who attempted to flee arrest by crossing the Des Plaines River. The river was fast flowing, and the illegal aliens were up to their necks with water and at risk of drowning. Four U.S. citizens tried to impede officers’ efforts to rescue the illegal aliens by blocking them from the embankment. Officers were able to rescue the illegal aliens throwing them a rope and getting them safely to shore.Despite the agitation and lack of help from local government, ICE successfully arrested both illegal aliens, including Martin Martinez Guereca, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, previously convicted of assault in 2004, and Jaime Arturo Martinez Rojas, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico with previous arrests for drug possession and driving under the influence. The four U.S. citizens who obstructed law enforcement from the rescue operation were arrested.”It is currently unknown whether the cemetery workers involved will face charges in connection with the incident on Tuesday.Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.