Man was shot at by ICE agents in Northern California before he tried to flee, attorney says
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A man who was shot by ICE agents in Northern California told his attorney that he only attempted to leave the scene after authorities had already fired on his vehicle — refuting the agency’s account of what prompted the shooting.Patrick Kolasinski, the attorney for Carlos Iván Mendoza Hernández, said he spoke with his client at the hospital where he is undergoing several surgeries.
“The one thing he was adamant about was that he was fired on before he moved the vehicle,” Kolasinski said via Zoom from the hospital.“He was very clear on this point, that he moved backwards because he was trying to get away because he was shot at.” Spokespeople for the Department of Homeland Security and U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement referred The Times to an earlier statement issued by acting ICE Director Todd Lyons on X, and did not respond to allegations made by Kolasinski.California Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said the officers opened fire on the man, identified as Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, when he allegedly tried to use his vehicle to run over another officer.After the shooting, Lyons said Hernández, a 36-year-old Salvadoran national, had “weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over.”Kolasinski, however, said, “It’s not that his movement of the vehicle triggered the shooting but quite the other way around,” adding that Hernández “fled in a panic because he was fired on.” He said it was unclear how many shots were fired, but that Hernández may have been struck more than six times — including in the face and arm.
The shooting is being investigated by the FBI.“Officers are not being given good rules of engagement and good training on how to keep themselves and others safe,” he said, citing other controversial shootings involving federal immigration agents.California USC freshman Tucker Collins attended a “No Kings” protes...