A U.S. Marshal and a TikTok streamer were injured on Tuesday by gunfire from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during an immigration operation in South Los Angeles.
The incident happened at “a targeted enforcement traffic stop” of an immigrant not authorized to live in the U.S. who “previously escaped from custody” and “attempted to evade arrest yet again,” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
The deputy marshal and the suspect, Carlitos Ricardo Parias, were both shot, United States Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli said in a statement. Both are expected to recover.
“Fearing for the safety of the public and law enforcement, our officers followed their training and fired defensive shots,” McLaughlin said. “The illegal alien was shot in the elbow and one law enforcement officer was shot in the hand by a ricochet bullet. Both are in the hospital.”
U.S. Marshals added in a statement to KTLA that “the Marshals were attempting to assist in an arrest of a suspect wanted for illegal entry.”
“A Deputy US Marshal sustained non-life threatening injuries during an immigration enforcement operation. The Deputy’s condition is currently listed as stable. The incident is now under investigation,” the Marshals said, adding that it’s policy to refrain from releasing the Marshal’s name.
Parias, 44, faces one count of assault on a federal officer, Essayli’s office said. Parias could face a statutory maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison.
After law enforcement boxed in Parias while he was in a Toyota Camry, federal agents approached the car and ordered him to step out, Essayli’s office said. Parias drove the Camry forward and back and struck two of the law enforcement vehicles.
“Parias’s aggressive driving escalated to the point that large plumes of smoke formed around the Camry, apparently caused by the spinning of the car’s tires,” Essayli’s office said.
The immigrant “weaponized his vehicle and began ramming the law enforcement vehicle in an attempt to flee,” McLaughlin said.
Parias documents federal immigration operations on TikTok with the username Richard LA, local news station KCAL-TV, a CBS News affiliate, reported. Attorney Carlos Jurado said his client is a “pacifist.”
“It’s difficult to trust every word that comes from DHS,” Jurado told KCAL-TV. “What we know about Richard is that he’s a pacifist guy. He’s very calm. A lot of the police officers here know him. They know he’s very respectful. In fact, the city of Los Angeles has awarded him for the work that he does in the community.”
