A Mexican national living in the U.S. illegally and wanted after a confrontation with immigration officers remained at large Wednesday, authorities said, after he allegedly drove into a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle in Pennsylvania, leading a federal agent to fire his weapon. Officials said his criminal record includes a hit-and-run.
ICE officers were attempting to arrest Clemente Lara-Hernandez in Harrisburg at about 6:15 a.m. when he resisted being taken into custody, the agency told News Agency.
During the encounter, ICE said, Lara-Hernandez used his vehicle as a weapon and struck an agency vehicle.
Clemente Lara-Hernandez, a Mexican citizen whose criminal history includes assault, hit-and-run and a domestic-related incident, allegedly crashed his car into an ICE vehicle Wednesday, prompting an ICE officer to discharge his firearm. He remains on the run. (Getty Images, Department of Homeland Security)
“The illegal alien then dangerously drove in the wrong direction on a one-way street and crashed into a civilian vehicle,” an ICE spokesperson said.
Authorities said one ICE agent fired his weapon, while another suffered a cut to the hand. No one appeared to have been hit by gunfire. Lara-Hernandez had not been captured.
Authorities said one ICE agent fired his weapon and another suffered a cut to the hand. (The Orange County Register/ZUMApress.com, File)
The FBI is heading the investigation into the episode. A Harrisburg Police Department spokesperson told News Agency that city officers were not involved in the operation and responded only to help secure the scene.
The FBI said it responded to the scene but that “Justice Department policy prevents us from commenting on the nature of any investigations that may or may not be occurring.”
The FBI is leading the investigation into the incident. (FBI, File)
In addition to a hit-and-run, Lara-Hernandez’s criminal history includes an assault and a domestic violence incident, ICE said. ICE noted that its officers are facing a significant uptick in attacks as they carry out immigration enforcement operations nationwide.
“Our ICE law enforcement officers are facing a more than 1,300% increase in assaults, 3,300% increase in vehicular attacks, and an 8,000% increase in death threats against them as they put their lives on the line to arrest the worst of the worst,” ICE said.
