The Daily Populous Monday August 18th, 2025 morning edition
Authored by latimes.com and submitted by overpregnant

A bystander watches as immigration agents conduct an operation at a car wash on Friday. A day later, a Customs and Border Protection officer opened fire on a vehicle during an operation in San Bernardino.

From inside the truck, the young man shook his head as federal immigration officers banged on the door and his father repeatedly said in Spanish, “Don’t open it.”

“Francisco! Roll down the window!” one agent said, addressing the father, who was in the driver’s seat.

Another officer smashed the window, shattering it, and Francisco sped away, as three bangs that sounded like gunshots rang out.

The attempt by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in San Bernardino to question the men in the truck Saturday morning, captured on video by two of the men, ended with allegations from federal authorities that officers were injured when the driver tried to “run them down.”

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“In the course of the incident the suspect drove his truck at the officers and struck two CBP officers with his vehicle,” read a statement from the Department of Homeland Security. Because of that, the official said, a CBP officer discharged his firearm “in self-defense.”

DHS said it was a targeted enforcement operation, which is likely how the officers knew the driver’s name. The department did not answer follow up questions about why they were trying to arrest the man in the truck or about the condition of the officers who were struck.

Later, at home, family members took photos of what appeared to be at least two bullet holes in the side of the truck.

“At the moment that they broke the windows, the driver of the vehicle felt like his life was in danger and the life of his child was in danger as well,” said Javier Hernandez, executive director of the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice.

Hernandez said that Francisco, 43, did not try to run over any officers with his truck.

“The family wants an investigation, they want to clear their name, that they didn’t run anyone over,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez said that Francisco, who is undocumented and has lived in the U.S. for over 23 years, was heading home from a store at around 8:45 a.m.

Francisco’s 18-year-old son, a U.S. citizen, was in the passenger seat, and his 23-year-old son-in-law was in the backseat, Hernandez said.

The officers, who in the video were masked, with one wearing a “CBP” hat, approached the truck and asked the men to get out of the vehicle, according to Hernandez, who said the family was not available for interviews.

As President Trump’s immigration crackdown continues, with people taken into custody in Southern California and around the country, videos have shown federal agents smashing car windows after people inside refused to open the door.

In a raid outside of a Hollywood Home Depot, a Border Patrol agent slammed his baton against the window of a truck, then reached inside to unlock the door and detain the driver.

During this summer’s immigration operations, federal agents have not previously been captured on video shooting at a vehicle.

After speeding away, the family called 911, Hernandez said. While San Bernardino police were questioning Francisco, Border Patrol officers arrived, and family members identified the officer they believed had shot at the truck.

“The officer said, ‘I didn’t shoot. I tapped your window three times,’ ” the family told Hernandez.

Art Acevedo, who served as police chief in Houston and Miami, said local law enforcement officers are trained not to shoot at moving vehicles in most cases.

“Poor tactics where officers unnecessarily placed themselves in harm’s way” had led to such shootings in the past, Acevedo said.

As a result,” he said, “many law enforcement agencies revised departmental policies and generally prohibited shooting at moving vehicles and officers from standing in the path of a vehicle.”

Local law enforcement officers shooting at vehicles is “unique” compared to more typical situations involving suspects armed with guns, knives or clubs, said Ed Obayashi, a Modoc County deputy sheriff and district attorney special prosecutor specializing in state and national shooting investigations.

Cars can be weapons, he said, so the question is, “When does the vehicle as perceived by the officer or agent become a threat to his or her safety or his fellow officers?’”

Obayashi emphasized that federal law enforcement, which has different standards for use of force, will be investigating the incident.

The San Bernardino Police Department said in a news release that it is leaving the investigation to federal authorities.

“Under the California Values Act, California law enforcement agencies are prohibited from assisting federal officials with immigration enforcement, so our officers left the scene as the investigation was being conducted by federal authorities,” the news release said.

Police officers stayed with the family at the house for about two hours, Hernandez said, then said they were done taking the lead and that the FBI would come and talk to the family.

The FBI is not involved in the investigation, a bureau representative said Sunday.

In a statement, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson misidentified the police department, describing it as the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, and said local authorities had a suspect in custody but then set him free.

“This decision was made despite the subject refusing to comply and wounding two officers — another terrible example of California’s pro-sanctuary policies in action that shield criminals instead of protecting communities,” the unidentified spokesperson said.

Hernandez said the family refused to open their gate to immigration officers “unless you all have a warrant, present a warrant and we will comply.”

Hernandez said the officers never presented the family with a warrant, resulting in a stalemate for around five or six hours.

Francisco said he doesn’t have a criminal record and is unsure why immigration officers targeted him, according to Hernandez.

At one point, Francisco tried to legalize his immigration status through his children, giving up when he realized he would have to leave the country for a period of time. That effort could have triggered deportation proceedings, Hernandez said.

Hernandez he fears that what happened to Francisco and his family will happen to others.

“As long as the federal government continues to say that they don’t have to present warrants, that they don’t have to present badges, that they don’t have to present who they are, these incidents are going to continue happening,” Hernandez said.

drkshape on August 17th, 2025 at 18:13 UTC »

Only a matter of time before these “agents” shoot and kill someone. I’ll give it until the end of the year.

SnepButts on August 17th, 2025 at 18:03 UTC »

Title should say "Masked thugs later identified as ICE goons shoot at family trying to defend themselves"

Don't use language legitimizing these faceless kidnappers.

fxkatt on August 17th, 2025 at 17:58 UTC »

> Soon after, according to the San Bernardino Police Department, a man — who has not been identified — contacted the dispatch center, saying that masked men had tried to pull him over, broke his car window and shot at him. He said he didn’t know who they were and asked for police assistance.

The agents say he tried to run them over and one shot in self-defense. Who do you believe?