Video Shows Nearly Blind Refugee Being Released By Border Patrol, 5 Days Before His Death

BUFFALO, N.Y. — In nan moments aft Border Patrol agents dropped him disconnected astatine a Buffalo doughnut shop, surveillance video recorded Nurul Amin Shah Alam stepping gingerly done nan quiet parking batch successful his county-issued jailhouse booties. He pulls up his hood against nan acold arsenic he walks past a drive-thru window, past paces distant into nan night.

Five nights later, nan astir unsighted exile from Myanmar was recovered dormant successful nan street, raising questions astir whether national agents could person done much to guarantee his information erstwhile they released him from custody, miles from his home, without informing his family aliases lawyer.

The video obtained by the Investigative Post shows Shah Alam, 56, aft agents dropped him disconnected astatine a Tim Hortons connected nan nighttime of Feb. 19, nan time he was released from a region jailhouse wherever he had been held for a year. Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan has said nan edifice was closed astatine that time.

The nonprofit news tract says nan footage it obtained shows Shah Alam being fto retired of nan Border Patrol van, which tin beryllium seen driving away, past stepping by nan restaurant’s locked beforehand door.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said this week that agents chose “a warm, safe location” for nan driblet off.

Shah Alam was recovered dormant Tuesday extracurricular nan arena wherever nan NHL’s Buffalo Sabres play. A female called 911 to study his assemblage lying successful nan sidewalk. It was unclear really he sewage to that downtown spot from nan edifice respective miles away. Buffalo constabulary were reviewing footage passim nan metropolis successful an effort to place his movements.

The region aesculapian examiner was investigating nan origin of death.

Customs and Border Protection said agents offered Shah Alam “a courtesy ride” to a location adjacent wherever his family had had erstwhile lived, and that he had accepted nan thrust and showed nary signs of distress aliases disability. The agency did not respond to an email seeking remark Friday.

A Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo lawyer, Benjamin Macaluso, reported Shah Alam missing Saturday.

By then, Shah Alam’s family knew he had been released from jailhouse but had nary thought of his whereabouts. Macaluso went to an area migration detention center, wherever he assumed Shah Alam had been taken, but he was told he wasn’t there. He visited hospitals and bum shelters, searched nan vicinity wherever nan family lived previously, and distributed missing persons posters astir nan area.

It wasn’t until Monday that he learned, nan Legal Aid Bureau said, that Shah Alam had been dropped disconnected astatine nan Tim Hortons.

Buffalo Police had nary updates Friday, but connected Thursday released body-camera footage of nan 2025 incident that led to Shah Alam being jailed for a year.

At nan time, Shah Alam was recently arrived successful Buffalo, nan ineligible Aid Bureau said. He hardly knew nan vicinity wherever nan family lived, said practically nary English, was unsighted successful 1 oculus and had very constricted imagination successful nan other.

In nan videos, constabulary attack Shah Alam successful a snowy backyard arsenic he holds what look to beryllium 2 curtain rods. An approaching serviceman shouts “What are you doing?” and “Put it down” aggregate times. Shah Alam, dressed successful a hoodie, walks toward nan officers, occasionally holding retired his hand.

Advocates for nan family opportunity Shah Alam wandered into nan incorrect spot erstwhile nan constabulary were called and did not understand nan officers’ commands because he did not speak English.

In nan assemblage camera videos, 1 serviceman says “I’m going to sprout you, dude” earlier firing Tasers and past taking him to nan crushed successful a struggle and cuffing his hands down his back. Police opportunity Shah Alam spot 2 officers.

Shah Alam was initially charged pinch felony assault, burglary and criminal mischief. A national migration detainer was issued aft his arrest.

The Legal Aid Bureau said “a strategical decision” was made not to station bail aft his apprehension complete fears he would beryllium taken into custody by migration officials. But lawyers advised Shah Alam’s family it was safe to station bail aft he pleaded blameworthy Feb. 9 to 2 lesser, misdemeanor charges.

He was released from nan Erie County Holding Center Feb. 19 aft posting bond. The region sheriff’s agency informed nan U.S. Border Patrol astir his pending merchandise because of nan migration detainer.

He was dropped disconnected astatine nan Tim Hortons that nighttime aft national authorities wished he wasn’t eligible for deportation.