Turkish national accused of grabbing taser, shouted ‘Allahu akbar’ in ICE arrest
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According to the statement made by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a Turkish citizen accused of violently resisting arrest and trying to seize a police officer’s stun gun during a confrontation in Western New York was detained.
The suspect, identified as Saim Irgi, 39, allegedly fought with police officers before being subdued and arrested, and during the struggle he shouted “Allahu Akbar” – “Allah is great” in Arabic, ICE said in a statement on Tuesday.
Prior to Irgi’s arrest, officers in Buffalo were conducting a targeted operation in Tonawanda when they noticed a vehicle leaving a home connected to their investigation that day.
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ICE Buffalo officers arrested Saim Irgi, an illegal immigrant from Türkiye. (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
In the statement, it was stated that after police teams began to follow and stop the vehicle, the driver was identified as Saim Irgi, a Turkish citizen who, according to authorities, was in the USA illegally.
Officers repeatedly ordered Irgi to exit the vehicle, but he refused.
An ICE officer pulled out a stun gun and repeatedly informed Irgi that he would taser him if he did not stop resisting, according to the statement.
Authorities alleged that while trying to detain Irgi, Irgi grabbed an officer’s stun gun while yelling “Allahu Akbar,” at which point another officer used the stun gun to subdue the suspect.
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ICE officials in Buffalo said the suspect had a criminal history since entering the United States in 2023. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
He was then taken to the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility, where medical staff allowed him into custody.
Irgi has been facing criminal charges since illegally crossing the southern border in July 2023, authorities said.
According to ICE, U.S. Border Patrol agents first encountered Irgi near Jamul, Calif., after he crossed the border from Mexico.
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The suspect remains in ICE custody while deportation proceedings are ongoing.
He was later released into the country to continue immigration proceedings.
In March, Pennsauken, New Jersey police arrested Irgi on a charge of simple assault, which was later dismissed.
That same day, Philadelphia police arrested him on charges including strangulation, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
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ICE Buffalo Field Office Acting Director Tammy Marich called Irgi a “significant public safety threat” and said in a statement that officers “will continue to work tirelessly to apprehend and remove criminal illegal aliens from the United States.”
Following Monday’s arrest, Irgi remains in ICE custody while deportation proceedings are ongoing.
