DALLAS—Police and detention officers testifying in the North Texas Antifa trial gave eyewitness accounts of the nighttime attack on an immigration holding facility that left one officer shot in the neck and others fearing for their lives.

The government witnesses wrapped up their testimony on the third day of the Fort Worth, Texas, trial surrounding a shooting the federal government alleges was a coordinated attack by the Antifa far-left extremist group on the Prairieland Detention Center near Dallas on July 4, 2025.

Members of Antifa, short for anti-fascists, had not faced terrorism-related charges in the United States until this incident, despite being involved in organized protests across the country that have at times turned violent.

The trial follows President Donald Trump’s executive order on Sept. 22, 2025, designating the group as a domestic terrorist organization.

Antifa is modeled after a militant group that worked as the violent arm of the Communist Party of Germany starting in the 1930s. Some symbols from the original group are still used by the movement today, such as the raised-fist salute.

Alvarado police Lt. Thomas Gross, who was shot after responding to a 911 call to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, testified that he saw a guard chasing a person dressed in black with a face covering.

Gross said he got out of his vehicle and saw another person dressed in black carrying a rifle.

“At this point, the scene is becoming extremely chaotic,” he said. “I believe I was getting ambushed.”

Loud noises and shouting could be heard during a recording from the police officer’s vehicle after he got out, including someone yelling twice, “Get to the rifles.”

Detention supervisor Cindy Harp testified that she and officer Dekeithon Reedy were both unarmed as they went outside to investigate the loud noises.

After leaving the building, she heard someone with a bullhorn speaking in Spanish. Then, she heard someone tell her that she should be proud of herself for working at a detention facility.

She could not clearly see who was there because they were all dressed in black and wearing masks, but she testified that she heard roughly four people talking.

Harp told the intruders that they were on private property and needed to leave.

“I was in shock, and I’m kind of nervous because nobody’s supposed to be there,” she testified.

Harp said she and Reedy started running toward the parking lot after hearing loud popping noises. They saw a police car heading toward them and noticed two people dressed in black. As the car pulled up, Reedy yelled to the police officer and pointed at the two figures.

Protesters gather in front of Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices in Portland, Ore., in this file photo. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Almost immediately after the officer got out of the vehicle, gunfire erupted, Harp said.

With her voice breaking, she described an assailant shooting the police officer, whom she heard say, “Oh, God.”

“I was in fear of my life,” Harp testified. “I thought I was fixing to die.”

Landmark Case

Arthur said proving that the defendants are members of Antifa could be difficult. One way would be to show communications, such as text messages, between members concerning Antifa, he said.

“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist,” Arthur said. “You know, the same thing can be said about Antifa.”

The Ku Klux Klan, the Weather Underground, and the Symbionese Liberation Army are all examples of loosely organized groups, he said.

“Terrorist organizations don’t generally give out ID cards or issue uniforms,” he said.

During opening arguments on Feb. 24, Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Smith told the jury that defendant Benjamin Song allegedly shot 11 times at police and detention officers until his rifle jammed.

The alleged Antifa cell, which wore “black bloc” attire—dark clothing and face coverings—had more than 50 firearms, including AR-15-style rifles that had been modified to shoot in rapid bursts, according to authorities.

An Antifa tagging in Los Angeles on Oct. 20, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

They used an encrypted messaging app and monikers in group chats to hide their identities, according to the indictment.

Some allegedly used handheld radios, and at least one had a “Faraday bag” used to block law enforcement from tracing cellphones; others conducted reconnaissance and discussed what to bring to the “riot,” according to the criminal complaint.

The alleged Antifa members called the plan a “noise protest” to show solidarity with illegal immigrants inside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, according to the criminal complaint.

Cameron Arnold (also known as Autumn Hill), Zachary Evetts, Bradford Morris (also known as Meagan Morris), Maricela Rueda, and Song face the most serious charges of attempted murder and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, in addition to providing material support to terrorists.

Other defendants facing lesser charges include Savanna Batten, Elizabeth Soto, Ines Soto, and Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada.

All have pleaded not guilty.

Defense attorneys attempted to distance their clients from the shooting, with several saying that their clients were not present when it occurred. They have painted the incident as a political protest.

Attorney Christopher Tolbert, who represents defendant Batten, said, “In America, we don’t prosecute our citizens for their political beliefs.”

Five individuals already pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges for supporting Antifa members in the shooting on Nov. 19, 2025. Several are expected to testify for the prosecution.

Nathan Baumann, 20; Joy Gibson, 30; Seth Sikes, 22; Lynette Sharp, 57; and John Thomas, 32, each entered guilty pleas to one count of providing material support to terrorists during their federal court hearing.