Federal officers shot a man in the elbow and a deputy U.S. Marshal was hit in the hand with a ricochet bullet during an immigration enforcement operation in Los Angeles on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security said.
The immigration agents fired “defensive shots” as the man they were trying to arrest rammed their car with his vehicle as he tried to escape a traffic stop, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. The man had entered the U.S. illegally and previously escaped custody, she said. It's not immediately known when he entered the U.S. or was previously detained.
A ricochet bullet struck a deputy U.S. Marshal in the hand. Both the marshal and the suspect are in the hospital.
“These are the consequences of conduct and rhetoric by sanctuary politicians and activists who urge illegal aliens to resist arrest," McLaughlin said.
U.S. Marshals Service office spokesperson Tlaloc Olvera confirmed one of their officers suffered a non-life-threatening injury while helping with immigration enforcement and was in stable condition.
Los Angeles police said they were providing traffic control and were not involved directly in the federal operation.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren Price’s office said the man who was shot has lived in the city for decades and is a well-known member of the community. Price’s deputy chief of staff Jose Ugarte awarded the man a certificate of recognition two months ago for his citizen reporting in the community, his office said.
Last month, an ICE officer fatally shot a suspect during an immigration enforcement operation after the man drove his car at officers and dragged one of them. Others have died while fleeing federal immigration agents, including a man struck and killed on a Southern California freeway in August.
ICE tracks attacks against its officers and has blamed activists for an increase in attacks, saying their rhetoric encourages people the agency is pursuing to resist arrest.
According to data provided by the agency, there were 172 reported assaults between Jan. 21 and Oct. 1 of this year. That’s compared to 15 reported assaults during the same period last year.
Immigration activists blame federal immigration enforcement agents' aggressive tactics.
