UPDATE: An Ontario man, Carlos Jimenez, was charged with assault on a federal officer following a shocking incident involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on October 30, 2023. Federal court documents reveal that during a planned immigration operation, Jimenez engaged in a heated argument with officers before reversing his SUV directly at them, prompting an officer to fire a shot that struck him in the shoulder.
This troubling encounter unfolded as an “enforcement team,” consisting of ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, executed a traffic stop on a separate vehicle on Vineyard Avenue. As officers were questioning the occupants of a Honda Accord, Jimenez pulled up in his Lexus RX350 and began arguing with them.
According to court filings, after initially leaving the scene, Jimenez suddenly accelerated backwards towards the officers. One officer, fearing for his safety, discharged his weapon, hitting Jimenez. The man then fled the scene but later checked himself into a nearby hospital for treatment. He was subsequently taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) after being medically cleared.
The incident has sparked significant public outcry. Following Jimenez’s initial court appearance on Friday evening, a crowd of protesters gathered outside the George E. Brown Jr. federal building in support of him and against ICE’s enforcement practices. Some protesters carried signs reading “Melt ICE Dump Trump” and “ICE out of the Inland Empire,” reflecting growing tensions surrounding immigration enforcement in the region.
One demonstrator, Ana Wilson, 34, from Riverside, expressed her outrage: “ICE out of the Inland Empire. Fascists out of the U.S. They are breaking the law in the name of law enforcement.”
As the community reacts to this incident, further developments are expected. The details surrounding the immigration enforcement operation involving the Honda Accord remain unclear, leaving questions about the circumstances surrounding Jimenez’s actions and the broader implications of ICE operations in California.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops. The urgency of immigration enforcement actions and their consequences continues to provoke strong reactions nationwide.
