Masked federal agents attempting to make an immigration arrest in San Bernardino fired at a man and smashed his car windows Saturday, leading to a standoff that ended with no arrests and a sharp rebuke by Homeland Security against local police.
In a video posted on Instagram by the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, agents can be seen breaking the windows of a man sitting with family members inside a locked car. San Bernardino Police issued a statement that officers were dispatched at 8:51 a.m. to Acacia Avenue and Baseline Street to investigate reports of shots fired. Officers encountered federal agents who said they were involved in a police shooting with a man who fled in a vehicle. No one was hit by the gunfire.
In a statement, a Department of Homeland Security spokesman said two Customs and Border Patrol agents were hit and injured when the man drove off during a vehicle stop, prompting agents to fire at the car.
Later, the man called 911 from his home, seeking help and complaining that men in masks tried to pull him over, broke his car windows and shot three times at him. Police officers contacted him in the 1000 block of Mt. View Drive. At the time, it was unclear to the officers what the suspect was wanted for. Under the California Values Act, local law enforcement agencies are prohibited from assisting federal officials with immigration enforcement, so the officers left the scene.
According to KTLA, immigration agents seeking to arrest the man for assault, surrounded his house while a large crowd formed in protest. The man and his family would not come out. San Bernardino police were called to the scene at 1:12 p.m. by federal authorities and provided crowd control now that the man was wanted for criminal assault. KTLA said the agents ultimately left without making an arrest.
In its statement, the DHS spokesperson criticized local authorities for not arresting the man when it said they briefly had him in custody.
“This decision was made despite the subject refusing to comply and wounding two officers — another terrible example of California’s pro-sanctuary policies in action that shield criminals instead of protecting communities,” said the statement.
Originally Published:
