Three federal officers were injured in San Diego after a man allegedly rammed his car into their vehicles while trying to evade arrest, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The agency said the suspect is in the country illegally.
The incident happened on Wednesday when the suspect “struck ICE officers before crashing into multiple government vehicles,” said Patrick Divver, ICE’s San Diego Field Office Director.
Divver confirmed that the suspect, a Kuwaiti national, was in the U.S. illegally and had a final order of deportation.
“This illegal criminal alien, wanted in his home country of Kuwait and with a violent criminal history, weaponized his vehicle—narrowly missing innocent bystanders and striking ICE officers before crashing into multiple government vehicles,” Divver said in a statement to ABC News.
ICE has not released the suspect’s identity.
Witness Michael Burreec told ABC’s San Diego affiliate KGTV that the ramming happened in a residential neighborhood with a 20 mph speed limit and a nearby daycare center.
Divver condemned the suspect’s actions, calling them a blatant disregard for human life and law enforcement.
“This individual’s disregard for human life and the rule of law is exactly why ICE San Diego will continue to pursue, arrest, and remove dangerous illegal aliens who threaten our communities,” Divver said.
Both the suspect and the three injured officers were treated at a local hospital. ICE plans to pursue criminal charges for “assaulting, resisting, opposing, and impeding” federal officers.
“This is another unfortunate example of how misguided rhetoric against ICE emboldens individuals to flee and assault federal officers performing lawful enforcement actions under federal law,” Divver added.
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