Dashcam video shows ICE agents shoot alleged gang member near I-5 in California

Video shows moment ICE officer shoots suspect near California's I-5

Dashcam video obtained by KTVU shows the moments before and after an ICE agent shot someone in Patterson, Calif. on Tuesday.

PATTERSON, Calif. - Dashcam video captured the moments Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents opened fire Tuesday on an alleged gang member near Interstate 5 in Patterson, California.

Federal agents were attempting to arrest Carlos Ivan Mendoza, an alleged 18th Street gang member wanted in El Salvador for questioning in connection with a murder, ICE Director Todd Lyons said in a statement.

Lyons did not provide details about the killing, and an agency spokesman did not respond to requests for additional information.

The U.S. Department of Justice has described the 18th Street gang as one of Los Angeles’ largest street gangs, with members from the United States, Mexico and Central America.

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ICE shoots alleged gang member near California's I-5 freeway

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on Tuesday shot a man they described as an alleged gang member wanted for questioning in connection to a murder in Patterson, Calif., leading to the partial closure of the I-5 freeway in Stanislaus County.

Confrontation caught on camera

Local perspective:

Dashcam footage from a passing vehicle showed several unmarked, dark-colored vehicles with flashing lights in the windshield pulled to the side of the road in Stanislaus County.

At least three federal agents surrounded what appeared to be a crossover-style vehicle. The driver then reversed, striking one of the federal vehicles, before accelerating forward and making a partial U-turn.

Agents appeared to point their weapons at the moving vehicle as the driver, identified as Mendoza, drove over a median divider. One agent was seen jumping out of the way before the vehicle came to a stop.

Officials say vehicle was used as weapon

What they're saying:

As officers approached, Mendoza "weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over," Lyons said.

ICE agents fired "defensive shots to protect themselves, their fellow agents and the public," he said.

Mendoza was taken to a hospital. His current condition has not been released.

Lyons said the operation to locate Mendoza was targeted.

Efforts to reach Mendoza or determine if he had an attorney or family were not immediately successful on Tuesday.

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An airport spokesperson said the ICE action was unrelated to President Trump's directive to deploy agents to airports nationwide to assist the TSA.

Investigation ongoing

The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office said no local law enforcement agencies were involved in the incident, which was reported around 8:30 a.m.

Following the shooting, on- and off-ramps at Interstate 5 and Sperry Avenue were closed and expected to remain shut down for the rest of the day.

Aerial images showed multiple officials, some wearing cowboy hats, standing near vehicles cordoned off with crime scene tape beneath an overpass.

FBI agents were also on scene, focusing on a black four-door vehicle that appeared heavily damaged, with multiple bullet holes in the windshield.

Authorities have not said how many shots were fired or how many officers discharged their weapons.

At a Tuesday afternoon news conference, sheriff’s officials and the FBI declined to provide further details, saying the investigation would take time, but it is open and active. Officials asked anyone with video or information to submit tips at tips.fbi.gov.