A U.S. marshal and a TikTok streamer were wounded Tuesday by gunfire from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during an immigration operation in South Los Angeles.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that the incident occurred during a “targeted enforcement traffic stop” of an immigrant not authorized to remain in the U.S. who had “previously escaped from custody” and “attempted to avoid re-apprehension.”
Both the deputy marshal and the suspect, Carlitos Ricardo Parias, were shot, Bill Essayli, the United States Attorney for the Central District of California, said in a statement. statementBoth are expected to recover.
“Out of fear for the safety of the public and law enforcement, our officers followed their training and opened fire defensively,” McLaughlin said. “The illegal alien was shot in the elbow and a law enforcement officer was hit in the hand by a ricochet bullet. Both are in the hospital.”
U.S. Marshals said in a statement to KTLA that “Marshals were attempting to assist in the arrest of a suspect wanted for illegal entry.”
“A deputy U.S. Marshal suffered non-life-threatening injuries during an immigration enforcement operation. The deputy is currently listed in stable condition. The incident is now under investigation,” Marshall said. He said it was his policy to avoid releasing Marshall’s name.
Essaly’s office said Parias, 44, is charged with assault on a federal officer. Parias faces a statutory maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison.
Essaly’s office said he was in a Toyota Camry when law enforcement in Parias followed federal agents approaching the car and ordered him to get out. Parias drove the Camry forward and hit two law enforcement vehicles.
“Perias’ aggressive driving escalated to such an extent that a large plume of smoke formed around the Camry, apparently caused by the rotation of the car’s tyres,” Essaly’s office said.
“The immigrant armed his vehicle and began hitting the law enforcement vehicle in an attempt to flee,” McLaughlin said.
Parias local news station documents federal immigration crackdown on TikTok with username RichardLA KCAL-TVA CBS News affiliate reported. Lawyer Carlos Jurado said his client is a “pacifist”.
“It’s hard to trust every word that comes from DHS,” Jurado told KCAL-TV. “What we know about Richard is that he’s a pacifist. He’s very quiet. A lot of the police officers here know him. They know he’s very respectful. In fact, the city of Los Angeles has honored him for his work in the community.”
