Man shot by ICE in Central Valley charged with assaulting federal agents

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There are two starkly different narratives of what took place during an April 7 immigration operation in the San Joaquin Valley, when ICE agents fired multiple shots at a Salvadoran man, sending him to a hospital.According to Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, federal agents fired defensive shots at Carlos Iván Mendoza Hernández, 36, after he “weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over.”According to Hernández’s attorney, Patrick Kolasinski, and at least one eyewitness, officers fired their guns first, prompting a panicked Hernández to try and drive away.Now, it will be up to a jury to sort things out.A federal grand jury indicted Hernández Thursday on two counts of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon and one count of destruction of government property stemming from the incident in the rural city of Patterson.

California Carlos Iván Mendoza Hernández told his attorney that he only attempted to leave the scene after authorities had fired on his vehicle, refuting the agency’s account.Kolasinski said in a statement Friday that he will not be commenting in detail as the case is ongoing and “it’s time for the judicial process to do its thing.”“We have faith in the court system and believe that, once all the evidence is put before an impartial jury, Carlos will be exonerated,” Kolasinski said.“To that end, we look forward to having our day in court.”Four federal immigration officers carried out the April 7 operation to arrest Hernández because he is in the U.S.

illegally, according to the U.S.Department of Justice.

They conducted a traffic stop near an onramp to the 5 Freeway in the Stanislaus County suburb and instructed Hernández to exit the vehicle, but he refused to comply, prosecutors allege.He is accused of driving forward and striking an agent with his vehicle before rapidly re...