An Arlington commuter suffered a traumatic brain injury after federal immigration agents confronted him on his way to work, according to medical records released by his attorney.
José Mejía Hernández, 45, was walking to his job in Arlington, Virginia, when the confrontation occurred.
On August 11, 2026, two men stepped out of unmarked vehicles and approached him on the street, Mejía Hernández said.
Mejía Hernández said he ran before the men, identified as federal immigration agents, hit him with a Taser.
He lost consciousness during the encounter, Mejía Hernández said. He remembered nothing of what happened next, according to his account.
The Department of Homeland Security disputed parts of that account, agency officials said.
Mejía Hernández attempted to flee during a lawful arrest, DHS officials stated. Agents used necessary force to get him under control, the agency said.
Mejía Hernández eventually woke up in a hospital, according to his account.
Photographs taken in the hospital showed deep purple bruising circling both of his eyes, along with swelling across most of his face. Open cuts marked his cheek and nose, the photographs showed.
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Medical records provided to journalists by his attorney documented bleeding on the surface of his brain and a traumatic brain injury.
The hospital documentation also detailed additional injuries across his head, face, and neck, according to his lawyer.
The 45-year-old remained hospitalized for three days following the encounter, records show.
Physicians attempting to assess his condition sought a clearer picture of the internal damage, according to medical records.
Mejía Hernández had been fitted with an ankle monitor as a condition of his release from federal custody. The presence of the device reportedly prevented doctors from performing an MRI needed to fully evaluate his brain injury, his attorney said.
Virginia lawmakers have since publicly demanded answers regarding the confrontation from federal authorities.
Mejía Hernández’s attorney filed a police report asking the Arlington County Police Department to open a criminal investigation, according to the document.
The filing asked that the agents face charges as serious as attempted murder and aggravated assault, according to reports.
Two very different accounts exist of the same eleven minutes before he lost consciousness, according to published reports.
As of the most recent reporting, no charges have been filed against anyone involved, and the competing accounts remain unresolved.
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