CHICAGO (WGN) — Federal authorities shot at a woman believed to be armed with a gun shortly after a group of cars rammed their vehicle, blocking it in Chicago on Saturday afternoon.
Per the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the event took place near West 39th Place and South Kedzie Avenue in Brighton Park.
DHS reports that border patrol agents were on a routine patrol in the area when they were “attacked and rammed by vehicles” and surrounded by 10 cars.
The agents left their blocked vehicle, and officials stated that a female suspect then allegedly tried to run them over, prompting the agents to fire their weapons.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that the woman, who allegedly tried to run over the agents, was also armed with a “semi-automatic weapon.”
“One of the drivers who collided with the law enforcement vehicle had a semi-automatic weapon. Law enforcement was compelled to deploy their weapons, firing defensive shots at an armed US citizen who later drove herself to the hospital for treatment,” McLaughlin said. “Criticizing ICE consistently by likening it to the Nazi Gestapo, Secret Police, and slave patrols has repercussions. ICE and CBP members are family people—fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters. They wake up every day trying to make our communities safer, wanting to go home to their families at the end of the day. This violence and dehumanization against those merely enforcing the law must cease. We are keeping our law enforcement and their families in our thoughts. This situation is developing, and we will provide the public with more information as it becomes available.”
No agents were wounded during the incident.
McLaughlin added that the woman allegedly involved in the incident had been named in a CBP intelligence bulletin last week for allegedly doxing agents online.
Sources confirmed to Nexstar’s WGN that the woman involved suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was hospitalized in critical condition.
Officials from the Chicago Police Department said officers initially responded to the incident when it came in as a call about a person shot, but were not involved in the incident or its investigation.
According to CPD, officers responded to the scene to document the incident and maintain safety, as well as conduct traffic control for those living and working in the area.
The incident comes after weeks of clashes between protesters and federal authorities as they conduct an immigration enforcement operation dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz,” which focuses on Chicago and Illinois.
The operation has been met with intense scrutiny from state and local leaders as well as community members, including those who make up “rapid response teams,” who have been making their presence known on the streets of Chicagoland.
Despite the pushback, more than 900 arrests have been made in the weeks since the operation began.
