Family attorney Jonathan Manes condemns federal silence on shooter's identity
Jonathan ManesAttorney for the Villegas González family, MacArthur Justice Center
Family attorney Jonathan Manes said it is shocking that a year after the shooting the federal government has not released information about the ICE officers involved, including the name of the officer who shot Villegas González.
“It's shocking that a year after the shooting, the federal government has refused to release any information about ICE officers that took a man's life on our streets... They haven't even provided the name of the officer who shot Silverio and killed him.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Was ICE justified in fatally shooting Silverio Villegas González?
On September 12, 2025, an unnamed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Silverio Villegas González during a vehicle stop in Franklin Park, Illinois. The Department of Homeland Security said Villegas González refused commands, drove at officers, struck and dragged one agent a significant distance, and caused the shooter to fear for his life. An Illinois Accountability Commission review of surveillance and police body-camera footage said Villegas González reversed about 50 feet and then drove into an open lane away from the agents before two shots were heard. The commission said the available evidence did not establish whether or how an agent was hit or dragged, and found reasonable cause to investigate a shooting without apparent justification. Illinois State Police opened an investigation in May 2026. The dispute is whether Villegas González posed an imminent threat when the agent fired.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Joint WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times "Bearing the Blitz" one-year-anniversary report (same reporting team as the Sun-Times declination story). Covers attorney Jonathan Manes's statement on withheld officer information, the Cook County State's Attorney's new use-of-force protocol and working group for on-duty federal agent incidents, Franklin Park's commitment to a permanent memorial, and a community march marking the September 12 anniversary.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
One year after the shooting, DHS had confirmed to reporters that federal prosecutors declined to charge the agent, but had not identified the officer or released further information about the internal review.
After the quotation
Manes said the family still does not know basic facts about the shooting a year later, including who fired the fatal shots.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Manes frames the government's yearlong refusal to identify the officer or release information as shocking, directly faulting DHS and ICE for withholding basic facts about the shooting and its aftermath rather than merely describing the case's status.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
More from this case
Read the full caseLawrence Benito calls Villegas González’s death a murder
“Whether it be the apartment raids in South Shore, the shooting of Marimar Martinez in Brighton Park, or the murder of Silverio Villegas González, it’s been proven that ICE does NOT keep us safe - they are designed to intimidate communities of color and deport as many people as possible.”Read statement
Family attorney Jonathan Manes warns delay threatens the shooting investigation
“In these kinds of investigations, speed can matter. Evidence, witnesses, eyewitnesses, video. These sorts of things can disappear if you don't get them soon.”Read statement
Jesús García calls the Silverio shooting a murder
“In both cases, ICE has lied about the facts that led to these murders, just like they lied when they killed Silverio Villegas Gonzalez and shot Marimar Martinez in Chicago last year.”Read statement
Cite this record
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- The Dispute Index
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- Family attorney Jonathan Manes condemns federal silence on shooter's identity
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Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Family attorney Jonathan Manes condemns federal silence on shooter's identity". First published: 2026-09-23. Last updated: 2026-09-23. https://disputeindex.com/events/1556-family-attorney-jonathan-manes-said-it-is-shocking