Worcester residents demand accountability after Eureka Street ICE incident; council requests reports, body‑cam review and policy work

Dozens of Worcester residents told the City Council on Zoom that police and federal immigration agents violated residents’ rights during an incident on Eureka Street, and called for immediate steps including release of body‑worn camera footage and the creation of an independent civilian review process.

The public comments, largely during the meeting’s extended public‑participation period, pressed Mayor Petty and City Manager Batista to “show the city” how the Worcester Police Department (WPD) handled the encounter and whether officers cooperated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Rose Derico, a Worcester resident, said, “I support a civilian review board of the police.”

The comments underscored what speakers called a pattern of misconduct described in a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) report cited repeatedly during testimony. Residents urged the council to release footage and to establish mechanisms to protect families and children they said were traumatized by the incident. David Webb, identifying himself as a Worcester resident, urged the council to “release … the body camera footage of Patrick Hanlon, the first officer on scene, because that will show exactly what happened and who put hands on who.” Several speakers also identified a 16‑year‑old who was detained during the event and asked that the city provide trauma support.

Why it matters: speakers said the episode undermines trust between immigrant communities and local government and that failure to act will worsen public safety and civic engagement. The incident also prompted new motions from council members seeking both information and policy changes.

During the council discussion, Councilor Christian King moved for several actions: a city report “outlining not simply what happened, but the scope and scale and measure of the city’s response,” release of all body‑worn camera footage related to the incident, a clinical/social‑work crisis response for children and families affected, and confirmation of the identity of the agents who presented themselves as ICE. King also asked that the council explore a policy on local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Mayor Petty and other councilors asked that the city manager and police provide a report on whether the persons claiming to be ICE were in fact federal agents and on what warrants, if any, were presented.

The council took the motions collectively and later voted to table the package for further review and a later report. A motion earlier in the meeting had expanded the public comment period; that suspension of rules was approved after roll call. Several speakers asked for immediate release of city body‑cam footage and for transparency about statements made by city officials in the hours after the incident.

Background and details: callers repeatedly cited the DOJ report on the WPD and said the department had previously pledged not to assist ICE. Multiple residents reported seeing masked agents who did not present clear identification and described a chaotic scene in which WPD officers stepped between crowd members and federal agents. Angela (last name not specified) stated that the woman taken in the raid, “Roseanne Ferreira de Oliveira,” was being held at the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, Rhode Island; the public record on custody was not provided during the meeting.

What the council did: the body directed the city manager to prepare a report and consider a set of actions described above; it also voted to table the matter until the requested report is produced. The meeting record shows no final resolution creating a civilian review board on the spot; speakers and motions asked for one.

The meeting included extensive public testimony (the clerk briefly extended public comment to a longer period because of the number of callers). Councilors and the city manager acknowledged the need for a clear local protocol for interactions between WPD and federal immigration agents but did not adopt a new ordinance at the meeting. The council also recorded multiple votes to refer the issue for further staff work and to schedule follow‑up briefings.

Ending: The council’s actions leave the incident under active review by city staff; residents who spoke urged faster transparency, release of the requested footage and immediate development of clinical support for those affected. The council set further reporting and procedural steps rather than issuing a final policy change at the meeting.