An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent accidentally injured a deputy U.S. marshal while firing shots at a TikTok streamer known for documenting ICE raids.
The violent incident occurred during a traffic stop in South Los Angeles Tuesday, when agents attempted to detain Carlitos Ricardo Parias, known as Richard LA, who had previously received recognition for his work as a citizen journalist documenting ICE operations.
In a statement, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the operation was “a targeted enforcement traffic stop,” and that the 44-year-old Mexican immigrant “had previously escaped from custody” and “attempted to evade arrest yet again.”
McLaughlin claimed that Parias was pulled over using “standard law enforcement procedure,” but acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said that agents had “boxed him in,” which is not considered standard procedure for a traffic stop.
According to the affidavit, Parias ignored commands to exit his vehicle, hitting two law enforcement vehicles before “accelerating aggressively” with his car.
The affidavit claimed that the spinning wheels of Parias’s Toyota Camry produced smoke and debris, and Essayli shared an image of the arrest on X that showed a plume of white smoke beside the car. However, an eye-witness claimed that officers had fired tear gas during the arrest, which could also explain the cloud of smoke.
McLaughlin claimed that officers “followed their training and fired defensive shots” when Parias “weaponized his vehicle and began ramming the law enforcement vehicle in an attempt to flee.”
CNN reported that an ICE officer confronted Parias and used his weapon to smash Parias’s window, according to a law enforcement source who spoke to the outlet. Authorities believe the agent’s weapon fired while he was attempting to grab Parias, striking Parias and a deputy marshal. McLaughlin made no mention of this interaction in her statement.
Parias was struck in the elbow, and a ricocheted bullet hit one deputy marshal in the hand. Both are expected to recover.
Parias has been charged with assault of a federal officer. His lawyer Carlos Jurado told CNN affiliate KCAL/KCBS that his client was “a very pacifist man. He’s very calm. A lot of the police officers here know him. They know that he’s very respectful.”
This is not the first time ICE has opened fire during an attempted arrest. Earlier this month, a Border Patrol agent in Chicago shot a woman five times during a traffic stop. DHS claimed that the woman had attempted to ram law enforcement vehicles, but her lawyer claimed it was the other way around.
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