Undocumented Individual Shot in Maryland Following Confrontation with Immigration Officials
An undocumented man was shot and another was injured following a traffic stop that escalated into a confrontation just outside Baltimore. The event transpired when officials from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) claimed the man drove his vehicle directly towards them, causing them to respond with gunfire.
This incident marks the second time this week that ICE agents have discharged their firearms at an undocumented individual during an operation. In both instances, it was alleged that the individuals tried to harm the officers. However, in the first instance, the person was not hit by the gunfire.
Details of the Incident
In the most recent event, the driver of the van was shot and another undocumented individual in the vehicle was injured. Both are reported to be in stable condition and are expected to recover, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
This is another instance in a series of violent encounters between DHS officials and the public, highlighting how vehicle collisions and ramming incidents have become a focal point in confrontations with federal officers as immigration enforcement intensifies nationwide.
The Incident in Maryland
ICE officers were carrying out a "targeted immigration enforcement operation" in Glen Burnie, Maryland when they attempted to halt two men. The individuals were identified as Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, a Portuguese man who was driving the van, and Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel, a Salvadoran man who was a passenger.
Officers approached the van and asked Sousa-Martins to switch off the engine, but he refused and tried to exit the scene. He started hitting ICE vehicles and drove his van directly at the officers, appearing to attempt to run them over.
Fearing for their lives and the safety of the public, the officers fired their service weapons at the driver. Sousa-Martins subsequently crashed his vehicle between two buildings, although images shared show a white van crashed into a tree. Serrano-Esquivel was also injured during the crash.
Immediate medical assistance was given to the two men, and they were transported to a hospital. No ICE officers were injured during the incident.
Sousa-Martins arrived in the U.S. from Portugal in December 2008 and didn't leave the country when his visa expired in February 2009. No further information on Serrano-Esquivel's immigration history was provided. It remains unclear if the two men have secured legal representation.
Increasing Car-Related Incidents
As the frequency of dramatic immigration operations has increased over the past year, incidents involving vehicles have become a common occurrence. Officers are often run into, boxed in, run off the roads, and have had their cars rammed into by aggressors.
The agency has faced criticism for employing the same tactics, including controversial "precision immobilization technique" or "PIT" maneuvers, which force a vehicle to spin out and stop. Experts consider this maneuver a use of deadly force.
In a similar incident in October, a woman was shot by a Customs and Border Patrol agent after allegedly ramming into an agent's car. The charges were eventually dropped due to concerns over how the investigation was handled and apparent discrepancies.