Carlitos Ricardo Parias, the South Los Angeles TikTok personality known online as Richard LA, was shot in the elbow by a federal agent during an immigration enforcement operation on Oct. 21, 2025. More than a year later, his criminal case has been thrown out, but he remains locked up at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center — and his attorneys say they are now pursuing $50 million in damages from the federal government.
A Shooting That Sparked a Legal Fight
Attorney Denise Gastelum, a civil rights lawyer representing Parias, announced the $50 million federal claim, describing it as a precursor to a potential lawsuit that would name the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Attorneys have described Parias as a popular online influencer and community journalist whose videos documented immigration enforcement activity, and NBC News reported that multiple videos he posted the month of the shooting drew more than 50,000 views each, underscoring how independent creators have increasingly chronicled enforcement operations for large audiences.
Federal prosecutors painted a very different picture of that day. They charged Parias with assault on a federal officer, alleging that he used his Toyota Camry as a weapon, driving it forward and backward and striking two law enforcement vehicles, according to NBC News. The U.S. Attorney's Office detailed the same assault charge in a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, which identified Parias as a Mexican national living in the country illegally.
Disputed Video, a Wounded Marshal
During the confrontation, a federal agent fired, wounding Parias in the elbow; a bullet also ricocheted and struck a deputy U.S. marshal. Accounts of exactly where that ricochet landed differ: ABC7 Los Angeles reported the marshal was hit in the hand, while NBC Los Angeles reported the ricochet struck the marshal in the head. Homeland Security officials maintained that Parias attempted to evade arrest and that officers “fired defensive shots,” the agency told NBC Los Angeles.
But reporting on the available footage complicated that narrative. The Los Angeles Times reported there is no clear footage or audio of Parias attempting to ram federal agents, and body-camera video reviewed by the paper shows Parias raising his hands and asking why he was being detained just before the agent opened fire. Gastelum pointed to that same sequence, saying the ICE agent fired at a person in a vehicle with his hands raised who was simply asking why he was being detained.
Judge Tosses the Case, Cites Access to Counsel
The criminal case against Parias unraveled late last year. U.S. District Judge Fernando M. Olguin dismissed the indictment with prejudice — meaning prosecutors cannot refile the same charges — after finding that Parias had been denied access to his attorneys while in immigration detention, according to the Los Angeles Times. The judge also cited the government's failure to meet discovery deadlines, including the timely release of body-worn camera footage central to the dispute over what actually happened.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the agency strongly disagreed with the dismissal, maintaining that all detained individuals have access to lawyers and that no one is denied counsel. The federal government is appealing the dismissal, and NPR reported that the government disputes Parias was ever deprived of access to counsel. That appeal is now before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, with oral arguments scheduled for next Friday and a decision expected sometime in November.
Still Detained Despite Dismissed Charges
Even with the criminal case dismissed, Parias remains in custody at Adelanto. His immigration attorney, Carlos Jurado, has argued that Parias should not be detained now that the criminal charges against him were dismissed, while Gastelum and other attorneys contend his continued custody is unlawful. NPR has also reported that Parias's attorneys allege he is not receiving adequate medical care in detention, including pain medication and physical therapy.
The Guardian's coverage of the dismissal framed the case as part of a broader dispute over access to counsel when criminal and immigration detention overlap, noting arguments that the government deprived Parias of his rights. Parias's case has also drawn comparisons to other confrontations between federal agents and people recording or resisting immigration arrests elsewhere in the country. The Los Angeles Times reported that an ICE agent shot and killed Silverio Villegas González near Chicago after officials said he tried to flee and dragged the agent, and that a Border Patrol agent shot at Marimar Martinez five times after she allegedly rammed a vehicle — a case in which Martinez pleaded not guilty to assaulting a federal employee.
For now, Parias sits in detention awaiting both the outcome of the government's appeal and any response to the $50 million claim his attorneys have put forward. The underlying claim itself — including its specific legal theory and the agencies' formal response, if any — has not been made public.
