Man shot by ICE in Central Valley charged with assaulting federal agents - BERITAJA

There are 2 starkly different narratives of what took spot during an April 7 migration cognition successful the San Joaquin Valley, erstwhile ICE agents fired aggregate shots astatine a Salvadoran man, sending him to a hospital.

According to Todd Lyons, acting head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, national agents fired protect shots astatine Carlos Iván Mendoza Hernández, 36, aft he “weaponized his conveyance successful an effort to tally an serviceman over.”

According to Hernández’s attorney, Patrick Kolasinski, and astatine slightest 1 eyewitness, officers fired their guns first, prompting a panicked Hernández to effort and thrust away.

Now, it will beryllium up to a assemblage to benignant things out.

A national expansive assemblage indicted Hernández Thursday connected 2 counts of battle connected a national serviceman pinch a deadly limb and 1 count of demolition of authorities spot stemming from the incident successful the agrarian metropolis of Patterson.

Kolasinski said successful a connection Friday that he will not beryllium commenting successful item arsenic the lawsuit is ongoing and “it’s clip for the judicial process to do its thing.”

“We person religion successful the tribunal strategy and judge that, erstwhile each the grounds is put earlier an impartial jury, Carlos will beryllium exonerated,” Kolasinski said. “To that end, we look guardant to having our time successful court.”

Four national migration officers carried retired the April 7 cognition to apprehension Hernández because he is successful the U.S. illegally, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. They conducted a postulation extremity adjacent an onramp to the 5 Freeway successful the Stanislaus County suburb and instructed Hernández to exit the vehicle, but he refused to comply, prosecutors allege.

He is accused of driving guardant and striking an supplier pinch his conveyance earlier quickly reversing and slamming into a rule enforcement conveyance parked down him. He past allegedly drove straight astatine 2 national agents, jumped the halfway roadway median and drove the incorrect measurement against traffic, prosecutors said.

“During this incident, and successful consequence to the vehicle’s movements, agents discharged their firearms astatine the conveyance and deed Mendoza Hernandez respective times,” prosecutors allege successful the indictment.

He was taken to a infirmary and was treated location for six days earlier he was medically cleared for release.

KCRA 3, a Sacramento-area tv station, obtained video of the brushwood that showed national officers surrounding a achromatic hatchback that was boxed betwixt 2 unmarked vehicles connected Del Puerto Canyon Road.

The video shows the driver reversing pinch the beforehand rider doorway unfastened and striking a pickup truck. At slightest 3 agents person their guns drawn. The car past goes forward, apparently successful an effort to make a U-turn, and narrowly misses 2 officers, who unfastened fire.

Kolasinski told The Times past period that his customer is adamant he was fired connected earlier he moved his car.

“He was very clear connected this point, that he moved backwards because he was trying to get distant because he was changeable at,” Kolasinski said.

After the shooting, agents removed Hernández’s clothing and near him handcuffed and sitting naked connected the broadside of the road, according to Kolasinski.

The incident marked the sixth shooting involving national migration agents successful California since August 2025.

If convicted arsenic charged, Hernández faces up to 20 years connected each battle count and up to 10 years connected the demolition charge.

“Any sentence, however, would beryllium wished astatine the discretion of the tribunal aft information of immoderate applicable statutory factors and the national sentencing guidelines, which return into relationship a number of variables,” prosecutors said.

Immediately aft the incident, Lyons alleged successful a statement connected X that agents targeted Hernández because he is an 18th Street Gang personnel wanted successful El Salvador for questioning successful relationship pinch a murder.

Kolasinski has disputed this allegation, saying that his customer was not a pack personnel and that, while Hernández had been accused of execution successful El Salvador, he was acquitted of immoderate charges pertaining to that case.

The indictment did not reference immoderate alleged pack affiliations aliases connections to a murder. Hernández is scheduled to beryllium arraigned Monday connected the national charges.