Full story
Shooting at Vehicle Stop
ICE agents shot Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez during a targeted vehicle stop in Patterson, California.
“ICE officers fired defensive shots after the person they stopped attempted to run an agent over”
Agents say he weaponized his vehicle to try to run over an officer.
Dashcam footage captured the moments agents surrounded the sedan which then fled.
Mendoza's family and attorney deny he is a gang member.
The FBI is leading the investigation.
This is the seventh ICE or CBP shooting since January 7, 2026.
Incident Details and Divergent Accounts
The dashcam showed the sedan reversing with its door open, striking a truck.
The car then jumped a concrete median into opposite traffic.
ICE described this as an attempt to run over officers.
A policing expert questioned whether the vehicle posed an immediate threat.
The FBI and local sheriff's office are investigating.
The diverging narratives highlight escalating tensions.
Legal and Human Rights Questions
This shooting adds to a controversial pattern of ICE and CBP agents using lethal force during arrests.
“Trump threatened to continue with ferocious, unyielding resolve”
Since January, six ICE or CBP shootings have resulted in five civilian deaths.
DHS reported more than 180 vehicle attacks against its personnel since March 2025.
Critics argue agencies have too often resorted to force without clear justification.
Congressional Democrats have demanded briefings on the constitutional basis for strikes.