A police officer sustained injuries on Sunday afternoon when a man allegedly drove a van towards law enforcement and collided with their vehicles during a Charlotte operation, amid widespread immigration raids throughout North Carolina.
According to a social media update from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the individual involved in the incident, a U.S. citizen, accelerated his van at officers executing an enforcement operation in the University City vicinity.
The suspect subsequently fled the scene, initiating a “hazardous high-speed pursuit through a heavily populated area,” before agents successfully managed to corner him, as reported by DHS.
“Throughout the pursuit, he attempted to collide with law enforcement vehicles, creating a significant threat to public safety,” DHS stated. “As agents attempted to contain him, the driver intentionally rammed into law enforcement vehicles in a bid to escape.”
DHS reported that one officer was injured during the course of the incident.
Following the suspect’s arrest, authorities found a firearm inside the van, officials confirmed.
FILE PHOTO: Department of Homeland Security Investigations Officers operate a drone in search of two individuals who fled the scene after being stopped while selling flowers on the side of the road on November 16, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
“The perpetrator has prior arrests for resisting law enforcement, public disturbance and intoxication/ disruptive conduct,” according to DHS.
The encounter unfolded as federal agents launched a major immigration enforcement operation in Charlotte over the weekend.
U.S. Border Patrol agents were seen on Saturday making arrests across the city of more than 900,000 residents, according to the Associated Press.
FILE PHOTO: A Department of Homeland Security agent stands guard as protesters demonstrate against raids conducted by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outside the DHS office in Charlotte, North Carolina, on November 16, 2025. (PETER ZAY/AFP via Getty Images)
The operation is part of a federal push to ensure “Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed,” according to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
The operation comes months after the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, aboard a Charlotte light-rail train.
It also follows similar immigration enforcement raids recently conducted in California, Illinois, Oregon and New York.
DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
