ICE agent shoots and wounds man in Marble Hill New York

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and wounded a man inside a car in New York on Thursday afternoon, triggering a tense standoff with onlookers in the Marble Hill neighbourhood.

The shooting happened at around 4:20 pm near 2 Marble Hill Avenue, a busy area just off Broadway. The New York Police Department, which was not involved in the federal operation, confirmed the incident shortly after. According to police, the wounded man was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was conscious and receiving medical treatment. Law enforcement sources told reporters that his injuries are not considered life-threatening.

Bystander footage reveals tense aftermath

Footage captured by bystanders in the immediate aftermath shows a chaotic scene. Armed federal agents surrounded a silver SUV, while local police officers pulled a handcuffed man from the vehicle. Onlookers gathered quickly on the pavements as one agent, wearing a high-visibility construction vest with a badge hung around his neck, patrolled the perimeter holding a semi-automatic rifle to keep the crowd back.

In videos shared online, bystanders can be heard shouting in confusion and anger as they realised the officers were federal immigration authorities rather than local police.

"They shot him out of the car," one bystander said in a clip recorded at the scene. "This isn't NYPD... That's ICE."

A witness who came out of a nearby shop on Broadway told the New York Post that they saw a man on the ground in handcuffs. "There was a guy holding a gun up, looking around in case someone wanted to interfere," the witness said. "He was ICE."

Authorities silent on motive

The NYPD moved quickly to clarify its role in the afternoon's events, issuing a statement to confirm its officers did not pull the trigger.

"The NYPD was not involved in the incident and was not on scene at the time of the shooting," the department said in a statement posted on X.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not yet responded to requests for comment. Federal authorities have not released the identity of the man who was shot, nor have they explained what prompted the enforcement action or why the agent opened fire.

The location of the shooting sits on a well-known geographic border. While the NYPD described the scene as the "Marble Hill neighborhood of the Bronx," Marble Hill is legally a part of Manhattan, despite being physically detached from Manhattan island by a canal and directly connected to the Bronx landmass.