U.S. Citizen Shot by ICE Agent

Introduction to the Incident

Leaving his home in Ontario to work at a food bank Thursday morning, Carlos Jimenez pulled over to warn a group of federal agents that they should wrap up their stop of a car quickly because school-age children would soon gather there to take the bus, his lawyers said Sunday. In the following moments, the attorneys said an ICE officer shot Jimenez, a U.S. citizen and father of three, from behind.

The Official Account

Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said at the time that Jimenez had “attempted to run officers over by reversing directly at them without stopping” and that the shots were “defensive.” Jimenez, 25, was charged in federal court with assault on a federal officer. A judge released him on bond Friday.

Counter Narrative by Lawyers

Lawyers for Jimenez offered a counter narrative. They said that Jimenez reversed because he was afraid, then was unnecessarily shot in the back of his right shoulder, where a bullet remains lodged. The agents’ actions were “unreasonably aggressive” and a violation of their own policies, said attorney Robert Simon. Jimenez, who lives in the mobile home park along the same road, approached the officers to “tell them that there’s kids that are coming out to wait for the bus,” according to his lawyers.

Details of the Encounter

“He was telling them, ‘Excuse me. Can you guys please, you know, please wrap this up.’ And immediately, the masked agent pulls out a gun and exchanges some words,” said lawyer Cynthia Santiago. “[The agent is] also shaking his pepper spray.” “He’s in fear, and he’s trying to get out of the situation,” she said. The agents and their cars had blocked one southern lane on Vineyard Avenue and jutted into a second. “He had to reverse to get away,” said Simon.

Use of Force

“Then there was a shot from the side, back passenger window, to the car,” Santiago said. “Use of deadly force is to be used as a last resort. Coming out to communities with guns drawn is the opposite.” So far, no video of the incident has publicly surfaced.

Federal Authorities’ Account

Federal authorities have painted a different picture of what happened. According to the complaint filed in the Central District of California on Friday, Jimenez pulled up to three immigration officers, two from Border Patrol and another from ICE and “engaged in a verbal altercation,” it states. An ICE agent, identified as E.O., approached Jimenez in his Lexus and told him to leave. Then the agent “holstered” his firearm and pulled out his pepper spray, according to the complaint. Jimenez pulled his car forward to the left.

Incident Details from the Complaint

“The Lexus then stopped, turned its wheels, and then rapidly accelerated in reverse back toward” a Border Patrol agent named in the complaint as “Officer N.J.” and the Honda the agents had stopped, which had three people inside. Immigration agents have been increasingly involved in aggressive confrontations with suspects and protesters.

Community and Advocates’ Response

McLaughlin called it at the time “another example of the threats our ICE officers are facing day in and day out as they risk their lives to enforce the law and arrest criminals.” But advocates and lawyers say that heavy-handed tactics are spawning dangerous situations in neighborhoods. “Our communities are not training grounds, they are places where children and families should be safe and able to go about their day,” said Santiago. “What we are seeing in communities such as [the Inland Empire], L.A. and Ventura is as if they are training grounds, where violence and aggression is being used against community members with or without status.”

Recent Incidents Involving ICE

The shooting is the second in a little more than a week in Southern California. Last week, ICE officers fired at a man in South Los Angeles after agents boxed his car in. Carlitos Ricardo Parias was shot in the elbow, and a deputy marshal was hit by what authorities said was a ricocheted bullet. They accused Parias of trying to ram the agents’ cars. In September and October, there were two shootings, by ICE and Border Patrol, into vehicles in Chicago, one fatal. And in August, federal agents shot into a car in San Bernardino during an immigration stop.

Conclusion

The incident involving Carlos Jimenez and the ICE agent highlights the escalating tensions and use of force by immigration authorities in community settings. The conflicting accounts of the event underscore the need for transparency and thorough investigation into such incidents. As communities continue to grapple with the presence and actions of immigration enforcement, the call for de-escalation techniques and respect for community safety grows louder.

FAQs

• What happened to Carlos Jimenez? Carlos Jimenez, a U.S. citizen, was shot by an ICE agent from behind after he attempted to warn the agents about children gathering at a bus stop.
• What is the official account of the incident? According to the Department of Homeland Security, Jimenez attempted to run over the officers with his car, prompting the agent to fire in self-defense.
• What do Jimenez’s lawyers say happened? Jimenez’s lawyers claim that he reversed his car because he was afraid and was shot unnecessarily in the back.
• Has there been an increase in aggressive confrontations involving ICE? Yes, there have been recent incidents in Southern California and other parts of the country involving ICE and Border Patrol agents using force during stops and confrontations.
• What is the community’s response to these incidents? Advocates and community members are expressing concern over the use of aggressive tactics by immigration authorities, stating that communities should be safe spaces for families and children, not "training grounds" for law enforcement.