A federal immigration officer opened fire on a man Thursday morning in San Bernardino County, a shooting that is now under investigation by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The incident, according to the Department of Homeland Security, occurred at around 6:30 a.m. in the 2800 block of South Vineyard Avenue in the city of Ontario.
In a statement to KTLA, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were conducting a traffic stop when an unknown individual who was not the target of the enforcement operation pulled his vehicle in front of federal agents’ vehicles.
“Officers ordered the driver to leave the scene. As the driver began to pull away, the car stopped and attempted to run officers over by reversing directly at them without stopping,” the statement read. “An ICE officer, fearing for his life, fired defensive shots at the vehicle.”
It’s unclear if the driver was struck by gunfire, but federal officials said he abandoned his vehicle and fled the scene.
McLaughlin said federal immigration agents face a 1,000% increase in assaults against them, including with cars being used as weapons and that death threats against agents are 8,000%
“This is not the first time that DHS claims that vehicles are being used against them,” Javier Hernandez with the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice told KTLA.
Hernandez and other immigrants’ rights activists showed up to the Ontario scene after news of the incident spread.
“What we know so far is that there is someone that was shot at. We don’t have any more information than that,” he said. “What we are asking the city of Ontario, the Ontario Police Department, if they have more information and that they should be releasing that information.”
At a nearby mobile home park, a second scene was unfolding, with footage showing a portion of the park cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape and at least two Ontario police cruisers at the location.
It is believed that the person who was shot lives at the mobile home park. Family members of the man who spoke to KTLA on the condition of anonymity only identified him as Carlos, saying he suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder.
What’s not clear, however, is if Carlos was the target of the immigration enforcement operation or the uninvolved driver who intervened and allegedly attempted to ram ICE agents, prompting the gunfire.
Family members told KTLA’s Ellina Abovian that they were unaware of his whereabouts and his condition.
“We know that DHS has put out a statement saying that violence against these officers is up 8,000%, so this is not the first time this information is out there,” Hernandez told KTLA. “We have also seen how this information isn’t necessarily accurate.”
As for the Ontario Police Department, officials said they were not involved in the initial incident and responded to assist with traffic control and scene security.
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