Chicago Pastor Claims He Was Praying When ICE Agents Shot Him in the Head with a Pepper Ball — “They Were Laughing While Firing”
A Presbyterian pastor from Chicago is speaking out after a shocking incident during a protest in Illinois left him injured and shaken. The Rev. David Black says he was struck in the head by a pepper ball fired by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers — an act he describes as both “deeply disturbing” and “heartbreaking.”
In a video that quickly spread online, the 41-year-old pastor is seen standing among demonstrators outside a detention facility in Joliet, Illinois, when the confrontation took place. The footage appears to show federal agents in tactical gear dispersing a crowd of peaceful protesters. According to Rev. Black, he was kneeling in prayer when the pepper ball hit him just above his left eye.
“It was deeply disturbing,” he told CNN earlier this week. “I was praying. I wasn’t yelling, I wasn’t resisting — I had my hands down. I heard one of them laugh, and then I felt the impact.”
The pastor said the force of the pepper ball caused him to fall backward and momentarily lose his vision. He was treated at a nearby hospital and released later that day, but said the experience left a lasting mark. “It wasn’t just the pain,” he explained. “It was the message behind it — that even peaceful prayer is seen as a threat.”
The protest had been organized by local church groups and immigrant rights advocates who were calling for greater transparency around the conditions inside ICE facilities. Witnesses described the event as calm and prayerful before tensions escalated. Several attendees, including clergy members, said the crowd was nonviolent and cooperative.
ICE officials have not commented directly on the pastor’s claims but confirmed that officers used “approved crowd control measures” during the incident. A spokesperson said an internal review was underway to determine whether any policy violations occurred. “The agency takes all use-of-force allegations seriously,” the statement read.
Rev. Black has since become a symbol for faith-driven protest in the face of government authority. Dozens of churches in Illinois and beyond have expressed solidarity, sharing statements of support and demanding accountability. In Chicago, faith leaders held a candlelight vigil outside the city’s federal building, calling the event “a tragic reflection of the growing divide between conscience and power.”
Still, the pastor insists he isn’t seeking revenge — just truth. “This isn’t about anger,” he said. “It’s about compassion. We need to hold people accountable not because we hate them, but because we believe they can do better.”
Friends and parishioners describe Rev. Black as soft-spoken and deeply committed to community service. He has long worked with immigrant families through his church’s outreach programs, offering food, legal aid, and prayer support. Many of those same families have now rallied around him, saying his calm presence in that moment embodied what it means to lead through peace.
“I forgive them,” the pastor said when asked about the officers involved. “But I also want them to see me as a human being — not as an enemy.”
The viral footage has sparked national attention, reigniting debates about the use of force during protests and the role of faith leaders in social activism. For Rev. Black, however, the issue is simpler. “I was there to pray,” he said quietly. “And I still am.”
