ICE Agent Fatally Shoots Man in Biddeford, Maine
An immigration enforcement officer opened fire on a vehicle in Biddeford, Maine, killing the driver. The victim was reportedly not the individual targeted by the arrest warrant.
ICE Agent Fatally Shoots Man in Biddeford, Maine
An officer from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shot and killed a man in Biddeford, Maine, on Monday morning. The incident occurred in a residential area of the city, which has approximately 22,000 residents and is located in the northeastern United States.
According to Le Quotidien, the fatal encounter took place around 7 a.m. local time. ICE agents had been monitoring what they believed to be the last known address of a person subject to deportation proceedings. When agents attempted to stop a vehicle, the driver tried to leave the scene. An officer then discharged their weapon, striking the driver, who later died from the injuries sustained.
Initially, Senator Angus King of Maine told journalists that the deceased individual was the target of an arrest warrant related to immigration status. However, the lawmaker later corrected himself after receiving updated information from authorities. Speaking to CNN, King stated that the person killed was not the individual ICE had been seeking.
The senator has called for a thorough, transparent, and open investigation into the matter. He also noted that the agents involved were not equipped with body cameras at the time of the shooting.
The Maine Attorney General's Office had earlier reported that the driver had attempted to flee in a vehicle toward the officer who fired. The office also confirmed that the officer would be placed on administrative leave, in line with standard protocol. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened its own inquiry into the incident.
A witness, Daniel Boucher, told media that he was at home when he heard multiple gunshots. Through a window, he observed a small sedan being struck by a white SUV. Boucher then saw an ICE agent remove the driver from the first vehicle and place him on the ground. The witness described the victim's head and face as covered in blood. Boucher reported hearing the man say something to the effect of "I tried to stop" before he died moments later.
Two advocacy organizations, the Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition and Presente Maine, identified the victim as a 26-year-old Colombian national. The groups stated that the man was authorized to work in the United States.
Crystal Cron, executive director of Presente Maine, issued a statement saying the death would not be reduced to a mere footnote in the administration's statistics.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not immediately provide comment on the incident.
Following the shooting, a security perimeter was established on the residential street. Protesters later marched through the area carrying signs reading "ICE out!" before gathering outside the offices of Maine's other senator, Republican Susan Collins.
Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain released a statement saying that a person had died and that the victim's loved ones and community members deserved clear answers about what occurred. He acknowledged the fear and uncertainty the event had generated in the city.
This marks the second fatal shooting by an ICE agent in less than a week, following the killing of a Mexican national in Texas. ICE agents, who are heavily armed and frequently masked, have faced criticism across the country over aggressive tactics, particularly after two U.S. citizens were shot and killed by immigration officers in Minneapolis earlier this year.
Source: Le Quotidien