A Tuesday morning operation in South Los Angeles, involving U.S. Marshals and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, left two people injured, law enforcement sources disclosed. During the action at approximately 8:52 a.m. on E. 20th Street near Trinity Street, officers were attempting to apprehend a man suspected of previously escaping custody when shots were fired; the target of the enforcement action and a U.S. Marshal both sustained injuries, as reported by KTLA and confirmed by other outlets.
According to Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, the situation escalated when the individual, alleged to have rammed a law enforcement vehicle in a bid to evade capture which subsequently led to federal agents firing their weapons, ABC7 reported. The Marshal suffered a hand wound from a ricochet, and the suspected illegal immigrant was hit in the elbow; both were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to KTLA's account.
During the incident, none of the LAPD officers were involved; instead, providing traffic control support around the perimeter of the federal investigation scene, the Police Department noted on social media. Aerial footage captured by local media displayed several vehicles that appeared to block a dark-colored sedan, hinting at the strategies employed in immigration enforcement tactics.
While additional specifics surrounding the lead-up to the shooting remain undisclosed, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives has joined in the inquiry to understand the full scope of the events, as also indicated by a statement from law enforcement sources to NBC Los Angeles.
