Incident in San Bernardino Involving Federal Immigration Officials

On Saturday morning, San Bernardino police were called to what they characterized as an “officially involved shooting” with federal immigration agents.

Officers arrived at the Acacia Avenue and Baseline Street areas before 9 AM, where they spoke with an immigration agent who reported that suspects had fired at them and fled the scene.

Shortly after, an unidentified man reached out to dispatch, claiming a masked individual had tried to pull him from his vehicle, breaking his window and shooting at him. He sought police help, unsure of the assailants’ identities.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security later commented that the agents were engaged in targeted enforcement activities in San Bernardino. According to the statement, an officer was injured while their vehicle was stationary, as subjects tried to evade and even assaulted them.

The statement noted, “During the incident, the suspect drove towards officers and attacked two Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in the vehicle,” leading to the agent discharging his firearm in self-defense.

A press release from the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice alleged that federal agents smashed the windows of the car, firing three shots. They shared a video on Facebook which appeared to depict the situation, showing agents in “police” vests ordering individuals inside the vehicle to roll down the windows.

In response, the driver reportedly said, “la voy abrir,” indicating he wouldn’t comply. The video seemed to capture the glass shattering and three gunshots being fired, with one officer identified as wearing a CBP hat.

While the video shows the vehicle moving slightly after the windows were broken, it does not capture the driver hitting the officer.

The Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice condemned the actions as a “clear abuse of power,” asserting that such behavior unnecessarily targets civilians and harasses families.

Later, police located the vehicle on Mount View Drive and made contact with the man inside, although it remained unclear what the federal agents sought from him.

According to the police department, their officers left the scene as required by the California Values Act, which prohibits local law enforcement from assisting in federal immigration enforcement, while investigations were being conducted by federal authorities.

A spokesperson from DHS mistakenly referred to the police station as the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office and indicated that local authorities had previously detained the individual but then released him.

In a separate statement, an unidentified spokesperson criticized California’s policies that hinder federal enforcement, citing that the subjects did not comply and injured two officers instead.

By 1:12 PM, federal agents requested assistance from local police after a large crowd gathered during an attempted arrest. At that time, agents claimed they were dealing with a person allegedly assaulting a federal officer.

Police provided crowd control and support in response to the situation. The Inland Coalition mentioned that agents had not displayed a warrant and remained outside a residence until 3:45 PM, exerting pressure on individuals to exit.

The organization also noted that two community members were “detained using unnecessary force,” with one individual being forced to speak up.

In a police statement, it was clarified that federal agents were seeking help under circumstances unrelated to immigration, stating, “This is not an immigration-related arrest and is prohibited under California law.”

As of now, the investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Police indicated that federal agents are looking into the specifics of the incident.