In brief
Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez was shot by ICE agents in California after they claimed he attempted to run them over with his vehicle. His attorney disputes this claim, stating Mendoza has no criminal record in the U.S. and was acquitted of murder in El Salvador. The encounter raises questions about law enforcement practices amid the current immigration climate.
MODESTO, Calif. (AP) - An attorney for Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez stated that his client did not attempt to run over officers during an ICE arrest in Patterson, California. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE agents fired defensive shots at Mendoza, allegedly a gang member wanted in El Salvador for murder questioning. However, attorney Patrick Kolasinski contends that Mendoza has no criminal record in the U.S. and is not the subject of an arrest warrant in El Salvador, where he was acquitted of murder. Mendoza’s fiancée described him as a hardworking man caught in the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policies. An investigation is underway led by the FBI, while Mendoza's family has yet to have contact with him since he was hospitalized after the shooting.
