Dozens of protesters outside a sports bar in Phoenix said that someone in an ICE vehicle sprayed them with what looked like pepper spray on Monday night. This incident was recorded in a video shared by Zach Buchanan, the editor of the Phoenix New Times, as federal agents finished a raid linked to a Department of Homeland Security investigation.
Buchanan received the video from the end of the operation at Zipps Sports Grill, located near 32nd Street and Shea Boulevard. In a post on X, he noted that the footage showed protesters “on the sidewalk, impeding no one” being “drive-by maced by an ICE agent from a truck as it rolls away down the road.”
In the video published by the Phoenix New Times, a group of demonstrators stands on a sidewalk outside the restaurant while multiple vehicles with emergency lights pass by. As a silver pickup truck drives past, the front passenger seems to reach out of the window and spray an aerosol stream toward the crowd. The clip then shows people coughing and shouting, with one voice saying, “Oh my god, oh my god,” as protesters move away and one person appears to need help.
The Phoenix New Times reported that the person who sprayed the crowd looked like a federal agent leaving the scene of the raid. The protesters did not seem to block vehicles or interfere as the truck passed by.
This incident happened while Homeland Security Investigations executed search warrants at several Zipps Sports Grill locations in the Phoenix area on January 26, as part of what officials described as a criminal investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona stated that a federal judge authorized the search warrants as part of an inquiry into “felony violations of federal law.” More information is expected as investigators review the evidence.
I’ve been sent video from the end of the ICE raid at the Zipps on 32nd and Shea.
It shows protesters — on the sidewalk, impeding no one — getting drive-by maced by an ICE agent from a truck as it rolls away down the road.
Hard to see how such tactics are justifiable. pic.twitter.com/dZYDCdO2mg
— Zach Buchanan (@ZHBuchanan) January 27, 2026
Local outlets reported that agents issued 15 federal search warrants related to the investigation and that partner agencies helped HSI during the operation.
Axios, which saw agents at two Zipps locations, reported that protests formed at several sites as officers left. About 200 people gathered at the Park Central location, chanting and confronting law enforcement. KJZZ reported that masked federal agents were seen outside the Zipps near 32nd Street and Shea on Monday evening as the operation unfolded.
The Phoenix New Times linked the pepper-spray incident to a larger series of demonstrations in the area over immigration enforcement. They noted recent confrontations outside ICE’s Phoenix field office and growing concern in immigrant communities about federal actions.
It was unclear from the publicly available video which specific agency the occupants of the truck belonged to, although Buchanan identified the person spraying as an ICE agent in his post. ICE operates under DHS, and HSI is the investigative division of ICE.
The statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, cited by Arizona outlets, did not mention any use of pepper spray on demonstrators. Instead, it focused on the search warrants and the ongoing investigation.
Raw Story, referencing Buchanan’s post and the video, reported that the spraying occurred as federal vehicles left the scene. They noted that one protester appeared injured, with others rushing to help.
DHS and ICE did not immediately respond to questions about the video or whether any officer used pepper spray from a moving vehicle. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said it would provide more information in the coming days as investigators evaluate the evidence for potential charges tied to the Zipps search warrants.
