ICE Confirmed My Report: Man Charged With Abusing Dogs And Shooting Police Is In The U.S. Illegally

It has now been officially established that the man who recently shot three Washington, D.C. police officers who attempted to serve him an arrest warrant over an animal cruelty case, resulting in an hours-long standoff, is in the United States illegally.

I first broke the news of Stephen Claude Rattigan’s illegal status on Monday. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed my reporting in a statement released on Wednesday:

“Stephen Claude Rattigan is an unlawfully present 48-year-old citizen of Jamaica, who has a criminal history that dates back to 1995. He has previous convictions for larceny and drug charges. He was previously removed to Jamaica in 2001 and later unlawfully re-entered the United States.”

“On February 15, 2024, ERO Washington, D.C. filed an immigration detainer requesting to have Rattigan transferred to ERO custody from DC Department of Corrections in Washington, D.C. once his time is served.”

The whole case stemmed from neighbors complaining about the smell of dog waste on the street Rattigan lived on. After city investigators confirmed the deplorable conditions the dogs were living in, along with physical abuse by Rattigan, D.C. officers attempted to serve an arrest warrant but were shot by him. A standoff ensued, with Rattigan firing out of his window every 20 to 30 minutes. After the 12-hour standoff ended with Rattigan’s arrest, police discovered over 30 dogs, including puppies, living inside.

The parents of Rattigan said they feel terrible for the officers who were shot and said their son is not mentally stable, saying he had voices in his head, Fox 5 reported.

D.C. police are prohibited from assisting ICE officers in the vast majority of cases, according to Executive Order EO-21-007:

“MPD members are prohibited from assisting with the enforcement of civil immigration laws. MPD’s cooperation with federal immigration enforcement activities, including regarding individuals in our custody, is strictly limited to those instances where members have verified, consistent with the procedures outlined in this order, that there is a criminal warrant or criminal judicial order in effect…members are reminded not to make inquiries into any person’s immigration status for the purpose of determining whether they have violated the civil immigration laws or for the purpose of enforcing civil immigration laws.”