Chicago’s police chief strongly refuted claims Monday that an officer had instructed others to “stand down” after two weekend incidents where federal agents were targeted with vehicle rammings. He also cautioned demonstrators that assaulting law enforcement could provoke a legitimate counteraction, including potentially deadly responses.

“Should you ram any vehicle, especially when it holds law enforcement officers, and do so intentionally, it equates to deadly force,” Larry Snelling stated at a Monday press briefing. “Deadly force refers to actions that could cause substantial harm or death. Ramming a vehicle with law enforcement inside constitutes using deadly force, and they can react in kind to cease the threat.”

Authorities detained two individuals accused of hitting government vehicles with their cars on Saturday. Marimar Martinez, one of the suspects, sustained a gunshot wound, while Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz was arrested later for a similar, albeit separate, ramming event where nobody was injured, Snelling confirmed.

As proof, he said 27 of his officers were exposed to tear gas that federal agents deployed in an effort to remove protesters.

However, Fox News previously obtained what appears to be a dispatch log indicating the chief of patrol did appear to order officers to stand down.

“The evidence — radio recordings and dispatch logs — speaks volumes,” a retired senior officer commented to Fox News Digital. “Snelling is navigating a challenging landscape, first with political considerations and the surrounding discourse.”