Border Patrol agent who went viral over arrest video died of overdose, lawyer says

a usa Border Patrol The agent identified in an infamous viral video arresting an American citizen this summer and awaiting trial for allegedly drunkenly assaulting police officers. California died in a separate incident drug overdosehis lawyer said.

Isaiah Hodgson, 29, passed away at his parents’ home in Riverside County in August, but the cause of death has only now come to light after it was revealed to a Long Beach Superior Court judge by the attorney hired to defend him. KTLA reports.

The LA County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet released an autopsy report, but it is believed it could further shed light on the circumstances surrounding Hodgson’s death.

The manager’s problems started on June 17, when he was part of a team. migration A raid outside a large outdoor retail park in Pico Rivera led to Adrian Martinez Walmart During a lunch break, a worker intervened to prevent a janitor from being detained, resulting in a scuffle in which 20-year-old Martinez was overpowered by multiple police officers and thrown into the back of a truck and taken away.

“He’s cursing the legal citizen, you fucking asshole!” In viral footage captured by an eyewitness at the scene, someone can be heard screaming; Hodgson was the only agent whose face was visible because he was not wearing a mask.

The video was later released by U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. in question Martinez was “arrested for allegedly punching a Border Patrol agent in the face after attempting to disrupt an immigration enforcement operation,” urging people not to follow his example.

Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Greg Bovino I also published the videoHe echoes Essayli’s stance on the issue and attempts to quell anger at Martinez’s treatment, saying “a false narrative exists and is being put forward” about the incident.

The Walmart worker was ultimately held at a detention facility in downtown Los Angeles for three days, despite his mother arriving and presenting his birth certificate to prove his nationality, before being released on $5,000 bail and a single charge of conspiracy to obstruct or injure a federal agent.

Martinez has since lost his job but he said he had no regrets about trying to “speak up for a man who couldn’t speak for himself.” He and his lawyers are fighting the federal charge.

Later on 7 July Hodgson arrested himself It was alleged that he drunkenly entered the women’s restroom of the Yard House restaurant on Long Beach’s Shoreline Village, wearing a gun and a magazine, even though he was off duty, and asked a female customer out.

After a security guard called 911 in response to a complaint about his behavior, Hodgson left the restaurant and was seen wandering the restaurant parking lot armed, hiding his gun behind a palm tree when officers arrived to investigate.

When Hodgson failed to respond to commands to raise his hands, a 90-second struggle ensued, eventually resulting in him being tasered, taken to the ground and handcuffed.

The LA County District Attorney’s Office said in a later statement: “When [the officers] When they arrived, they reportedly observed that Hodgson was intoxicated and unwilling to cooperate with their commands as they attempted to detain him. While Hodgson was resisting arrest, he allegedly became agitated towards officers and became physically violent, injuring one of them.”

Later body camera footage achieved with Long Beach PostHodgson can soon be seen complaining in custody that he’s “already dealing with so much stress and all this bullshit”, mate.

He goes on to imply that he believes his family’s personal information was deleted because of his job, saying: “I’ve made more than one mistake. Everyone hates me here… People are after me in Los Angeles.”

Following his release on July 9, the Prosecutor’s Office charged him with three counts of resisting arrest, a charge of aggravated battery on a police officer, and three misdemeanor weapons charges, to which he pleaded not guilty.

He would have faced up to seven years in prison if convicted of these crimes, but he passed away a month later and they are now expected to be dismissed.

A GoFundMe account set up to help Hodgson’s family cover funeral expenses described him as “a great man, brother, uncle and son” and was 96 percent of the way to its $18,000 fundraising goal at the time of this writing.

Independent Reached out to DHS for comment.