Authorities are searching for a Mexican national with a history of violent crimes after he allegedly rammed his car into a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle in Pennsylvania, prompting a federal agent to open fire. The incident occurred at around 6:15 a.m. in Harrisburg when ICE officers attempted to take Clemente Lara-Hernandez into custody. Lara-Hernandez resisted, and at one point, "weaponized his car" and rammed an ICE vehicle.
Lara-Hernandez then drove in the wrong direction on a one-way street and crashed into a civilian vehicle. An ICE spokesperson stated that the incident was extremely dangerous and that Lara-Hernandez's actions put several people at risk. An ICE agent fired his weapon during the incident, and another agent sustained a cut to the hand. Fortunately, no one appeared to have been struck.
Clemente Lara-Hernandez remains at large, and the FBI is leading the investigation into the incident. The Harrisburg Police Department responded to secure the scene but had no involvement in the investigation. In addition to a hit-and-run incident, Lara-Hernandez's criminal history includes an assault and a domestic violence incident.
ICE has reported a significant uptick in attacks on its officers nationwide. According to the agency, its law enforcement officers are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults, a 3,300% increase in vehicular attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats. These numbers highlight the growing risks faced by ICE officers as they carry out immigration enforcement operations.
