Federal Agent Shooting Sparks Controversy in San Bernardino Immigration Operation
Federal Agent Shooting Sparks Controversy in San Bernardino Immigration Operation
A federal Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer discharged a firearm at a vehicle during an immigration operation in San Bernardino on Saturday morning, an incident now under federal investigation and drawing conflicting accounts from authorities and a local immigrant rights group.
San Bernardino police initially responded to reports of an “officer-involved shooting” involving federal agents near Acacia Avenue and Baseline Street. Federal agents informed local police they had fired at a suspect who subsequently fled the scene. Shortly after, a man contacted dispatch, claiming masked individuals had attempted to stop him, shattered his car window, and shot at him, stating he did not know who they were.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a statement Saturday night asserting that CBP officers were conducting a targeted enforcement operation when a subject “refused to exit his vehicle and tried to run them down,” striking two officers. The DHS spokesperson stated the officer discharged their firearm in “self-defense.”
However, the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ICFJ) presented a starkly different narrative. According to their news release and accompanying video footage, federal agents broke the driver and passenger windows of the vehicle and fired three times. The video reportedly shows agents in “police” vests shouting at occupants, followed by the sound of shattering glass and three shots. The ICFJ claims the video does not show the driver striking officers and condemned the incident as a “clear abuse of power.”
San Bernardino police later located the vehicle and made contact with the man but stated it was unclear what federal agents wanted him for. Citing the California Values Act, which prohibits state and local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration enforcement, local officers departed the scene, leaving the investigation to federal authorities.
A DHS spokesperson criticized this decision, misidentifying the local police department and labeling it “another terrible example of California’s pro-sanctuary policies in action that shield criminals instead of protecting communities.” Later, federal officials requested police assistance for crowd control during an attempted arrest, clarifying the suspect was wanted for allegedly assaulting a federal officer, not an immigration-related offense, which allowed local police to provide support.
The ICFJ reported that agents remained outside the man’s home for hours without a warrant, and two community members were detained using “unnecessary force.” Federal investigators are actively examining the circumstances surrounding the shooting as the controversy continues to unfold.
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