The arrest occurred in the 600 block of Hillcrest Road on Aug. 6. (photo by Tabor Brewster)

A man was reportedly arrested by what appeared to be federal immigration agents in Beverly Hills on Aug. 6. According to media reports, agents used pepper spray and a Taser to subdue a landscaper outside a home in the 600 block of Hillcrest Road.

Video shared by Fox 11 Los Angeles showed a masked man in tactical gear standing on the street as a man off-screen can be heard screaming while people shouted “why are you doing that.” Witnesses said the incident appeared to be a targeted arrest, and reported that the agents said the man was wanted for a “serious sexual offense.” However, the man’s family told Fox 11 that he had no criminal record.

“As these activities were not coordinated with the Beverly Hills Police Department, we cannot confirm the specific circumstances surrounding this incident,” Beverly Hills Deputy City Manager Keith Sterling said.

Although the BHPD did not participate in the arrest, BHPD Lt. Kevin Orth said the department was called to the scene. He said officers arrived to the scene at approximately 11 a.m. after receiving a report of a man screaming. Orth added that when officers arrived, the incident had concluded. He said the BHPD does not receive notification from federal authorities about immigration arrests and raids.

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement did not respond to a request for comment.

The apparent arrest follows months of immigration raids across Los Angeles, including in the neighboring city of West Hollywood. On July 15, the city of Beverly Hills announced it joined a federal lawsuit seeking to stop the ongoing ICE raids filed by several Southern California cities and the American Civil Liberties Union. The lawsuit challenging the raids includes Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Culver City and several other municipalities, and alleges that the federal government has engaged in unconstitutional and unlawful stops without reasonable suspicion or probable cause.

“Since these illegal raids started in LA on June 6, I have maintained that every person in the United States, regardless of immigration status, is entitled to constitutional protection from the types of enforcement activities we have seen,” Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto said. “We will always stand up to protect our communities and to uphold the rule of law.”

On July 11, U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong granted a temporary restraining order on immigration detentions unless the agent has reasonable suspicion that the person stopped has violated the law. It prohibits agents from making stops solely based on race, language spoken or presence at a particular location. The Trump administration on Aug. 7 filed an emergency appeal asking the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling.