Quick answer: Evanston police and DHS agree that federal agents were looking for someone else, encountered a man who resembled that target, detained him and later released him after learning he was a U.S. citizen. Their descriptions differ over cooperation, resistance and the circumstances surrounding the injuries.
Evanston police account
Police said officers were dispatched after a report of an argument and someone being taken into custody. They found the resident on the ground with reported injuries. A separate officer later spoke with a federal agent who described a fugitive investigation and a mistaken resemblance.
DHS account
DHS told CNN that ICE agents immediately identified themselves, encountered a person who resembled their target, issued commands and relied on their training when the person was not cooperative. DHS said the agents left once the person identified himself.
Where the accounts overlap
- The incident occurred Sept. 20 in Evanston.
- Agents were searching for another person.
- The resident was detained.
- Agents later determined he was a U.S. citizen and not the target.
- The resident received medical care.
Where the record is disputed
The main disagreement concerns how the physical restraint unfolded. Police also documented blood on the federal agent’s hands, while the agent said he was injured while attempting to handcuff the resident.
What changed in the latest reporting?
Reporting published Sept. 22 adds a witness account from Ryan Garton, who told Evanston Wire that he saw the man pinned to the ground and later saw blood. That is a witness account, not a final investigative finding. Evanston police continue to review video and other evidence. DHS separately told CNN that ICE agents encountered someone who resembled their target, identified themselves and said the individual was not cooperative.
Related coverage
From a Fugitive Search to a Hospital Visit: Reconstructing the Evanston Case
Why Investigators Are Collecting Every Video From the Evanston ICE Incident
How a Case of Mistaken Identity Ended With a U.S. Citizen at a Hospital
Two Accounts, One Investigation: What Evanston Police and DHS Have Said
Evanston ICE Incident: A Fact Check of What Is Confirmed and What Remains Unclear
Frequently Asked Questions
Did DHS confirm ICE involvement?
DHS told CNN that ICE agents were conducting the targeted operation.
What remains disputed?
The circumstances and force used during the physical detention.
Sources and further reading: Evanston Police Department · CNN Español · Univision Chicago · Democracy Now!
Latest reporting check — Sept. 23, 2026
As of Sept. 23, the latest reporting reviewed continues to describe the case as an active Evanston police investigation. CNN reported that surveillance video appears to show two agents and the man in an upright struggle before the federal agents pulled him to the ground, while noting that the available clip does not show what happened after they moved out of camera view. CNN also reported that DHS said the agents encountered someone who resembled their target, identified themselves and said the person was not cooperative. Evanston police said they are preserving body-camera footage, in-car video and witness material. These accounts remain attributed, and the investigation has not publicly resolved every disputed detail. Univision Chicago's Sept. 22 video report provides additional local coverage.
Fact-check note
This article distinguishes the Netflix dramatization from documented history. Lizzie Borden was acquitted in 1893; claims about guilt, private relationships, motives and events not established by surviving records are described as fictionalized or disputed rather than settled fact.
Netflix Tudum: The True Story · Netflix Tudum: Ending Explained · PEOPLE: Fact vs Fiction · PEOPLE: Emma/Lizzie Fact Check
