June 15 (UPI) — Police in New Jersey’s Stafford Township said an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fired his gun at a fleeing vehicle moments after being struck.
The Stafford Township Police Department said in a statement shared to social media that ICE was attempting to apprehend a suspect around 9:30 a.m. in Manahawkin when the person fled in a vehicle.
The suspect’s vehicle, which witnesses identified to News 12 New Jersey as a white van, struck an ICE officer, who then fired his gun at the vehicle.
Witnesses said the shot shattered the back window of the van, but the vehicle did not stop.
“The suspect fled the scene in the vehicle and has not been located at this time. The agent reportedly sustained unknown injuries and it is unknown if the suspect was injured at this time,” police wrote.
The department said police were not involved in the original ICE operation Monday morning. The department secured the crime scene and managed traffic while the Federal Bureau of Investigation was called in to investigate.
Police administered first aid to the injured ICE agent and “facilitated his transport for further treatment,” the statement said.
ICE provided a statement to NBC10 Philadelphia identifying the suspect as Friedrich Castillo-Ormeno, a Peru native who was ordered to leave the country by given an immigration judge on Jan. 30.
