Marine veteran defends gardener father seen being hit by immigration agents in video

The Marine veteran son of a California gardener seen in a graphic video being repeatedly struck on the head by a masked Customs and Border Patrol agent and chased at gunpoint is pushing back against government statements that his father attacked agents with a weed trimmer

The Marine veteran son of a California gardener seen in a graphic video being repeatedly struck on the head by a masked Customs and Border Patrol agent and chased at gunpoint is pushing back against government statements that his father attacked agents with a weed trimmer.

The arrest of Narciso Barranco, 48, in Santa Ana on Saturday has drawn national attention as videos have been posted showing an agent pinning Barranco, who is undocumented, to the pavement with his knee on his shoulder blade. The agent repeatedly smacks Barranco’s face and head as he tries to pull his right arm behind his back to handcuff him, while other officers try to hold Barranco down.

Initial videos of the arrest have been countered with videos from the administration, which has said Barranco assaulted the officers with his weed trimmer.

Alejandro Barranco.NBC NewsThe Department of Homeland Security posted a video Tuesday — the second it has posted — showing Barranco swinging his weed trimmer as he turns around toward two immigration agents who are following him down a busy street with guns drawn and pointed at him.

DHS said in a statement Monday that Barranco ran, then turned and “swung a weed whacker directly at an agent’s face. He then fled through a busy intersection and raised the weed whacker again at the agent.”