UHP responds after video shows ICE agent breaking car window during traffic stop

kutv.com · By Natalie Wadas (KUTV) · 2026-04-02T01:33:06.000Z

ROY, Utah (KUTV) — A video of an ICE agent breaking the window of a car in Weber County to arrest two people went viral on X.Utah Highway Patrol said the car was speeding on a stretch of 1-15 near 5600 South, going 90 miles per hour. When they didn't have a standard ID, UHP called in ICE.In the video, an ICE agent — identified as such by UHP — threatened to break the window to get into the car.UHP Major Chamberlin Neff said that during the traffic stop, they encountered three people inside the car — none of whom could produce any driver's licenses or ID."So my understanding is that the driver produced a photo ID on a cell phone, and that photo ID, I believe, was a Mexican ID. Didn't have any type of driver's license," Neff said. "And so when that identification was showed, it showed a federal detainer, and that's when that trooper called in ICE."MORE | Weber County traffic stop leads to arrest; driver, passenger had ICE detainersAccording to UHP, two of the men in the car were found to have active ICE detainers. Federal ICE agents, along with a Weber County Sheriff's Office deputy, showed up."When they did show up on scene, the passenger, front passenger, got out, fled on foot. And, when they fled on foot, a trooper and one of the other federal agents actually took off on foot to pursue up after them," Neff said.UHP said at the same time, the driver refused to get out of the car."Barricaded inside of the vehicle and refused to get out," Neff said. "That's when you see on the social media video that federal agent did break the window."The driver and the man who fled both had active ICE detainers. The man filming was arrested for interfering.2News asked UHP if it is legal for law enforcement to break a window to gain entry into a vehicle that has been pulled over. And, if so, in what circumstances?"So, our ultimate goal is we want to maintain voluntary surrender, right? So, in this situation, we did have a detainer to be able to arrest the driver in this situation," Neff said. "So when the driver did not surrender in this situation, it did escalate to be able to have some compliance. So force was used.""So ICE in this situation, the ICE agent did feel that breaking the window was his ultimate decision to make," Neff continued. "So he did break that window, which ultimately allowed us to be able to open the door and then arrest that driver."2News also asked if passengers inside a vehicle are non-compliant with law enforcement orders, what are troopers trained to do?"So ultimately, like I said, the goal is voluntary compliance," Neff said. "If somebody is non-compliant, we are trained to meet that ... non-compliance with, we'll escalate to potentially force or be able to pull that person out of that car.""So, we can break that window and in situations in my experience, we have broken windows and we will pull and extricate people out of vehicles," Neff said."If an action like breaking a window to gain entry to a vehicle is found in some circumstance to be unjustified, what consequences are there for actions like that?" 2News asked."So, ultimately there could be civil litigation. Ultimately, there could be policy violations. So, just depending on whichever agency and there could be, like I was explaining before, some lawsuit civil litigation as well," Neff said. "And potentially, ultimately, some criminal charges as well for that officer."2News reached out to ICE, asking whether they could confirm it was an ICE agent in the video; in what circumstances agents can legally break car windows to gain entry; and what the consequences are if it is found to be an illegal act on the part of the agent. We did not hear back._____