An incident in South Los Angeles has left both a man and a deputy U.S. marshal injured after shots were fired by federal agents during an immigration enforcement action. The event unfolded on the morning of Tuesday, when federal agents engaged in a targeted traffic stop on Carlitos Ricardo Parias, a 44-year-old Mexican national living illegally in the U.S. and known online as Richard LA. Parias, who has evaded previous capture, was charged with assault on a federal officer according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
During the operation, Parias was accused of using his vehicle as a weapon, ramming law enforcement vehicles that had boxed him in. The situation escalated, resulting in an agent firing shots that wounded Parias in the elbow and inadvertently struck a deputy marshal with a ricochet bullet. According to the Eyewitness News interview of a bystander, Parias appeared nervous and resisted exiting his vehicle, leading to the deployment of rubber bullets and tear gas.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated, "A vehicle is a deadly weapon. If it is used against federal agents, not only will you face years in federal prison, but you also face the possibility of deadly force being used against you." The affidavit filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office accentuates the gravity of using a vehicle aggressively against law enforcement officials. Parias's actions, which involved accelerating and emitting smoke and debris from the spinning tires, were seen as an attempt to dislodge his vehicle and escape. This prompted fear among the agents on scene.
Injuries from the incident sent both Parias and the deputy marshal to California Hospital for treatment, following which community activists rallied against ICE's show of force. "This level of violence from federal agents is unacceptable," Veritas Topete of Centro CSO told attendees at a press conference as reported by Eyewitness News, reflecting the concern of protestors. Meanwhile, DHS reiterated the narrative that Parias "weaponized his vehicle," arguing that law enforcement officers followed their training during the operation for the safety of the public.
If convicted of the charges, Parias could face up to eight years in federal prison. The investigation of the case involves Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
