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ICE officer shoots, kills man who was not target of warrant in Maine

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Credit: Steve Cooper / WHDH

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer has shot and killed a Colombian man during an immigration operation in Maine after authorities said he drove toward the officer while trying to flee. The man was not the target of the warrant being carried out.

The shooting happened at about 7 a.m. Monday in Biddeford, a city in southern Maine, after ICE officers began watching the last known address of someone with a final order of removal.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said a man left the residence in a vehicle and officers attempted to stop him. He drove away, and an officer opened fire because of concerns for “public safety.”

The man has been identified by a neighbor and immigrant advocates as Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian father, according to the Portland Press Herald. The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and Presente! said Guerrero was authorized to work in the United States.

U.S. Senator Angus King said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin told him that Guerrero was not the person named in the warrant officers were executing, according to the Associated Press. Mullin told him that the man “weaponized” his vehicle against officers before he was shot.

Footage taken immediately after the shooting showed a white Kia moving slowly in circles through an intersection as agents shouted, “Shots fired.” Later video showed agents pulling Guerrero from the vehicle before police and federal officers began providing first aid. He showed no visible signs of movement.

DHS said emergency services were called immediately after the shooting. Biddeford police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) responded, while the DHS Office of Inspector General was notified.

The Maine Attorney General’s Office said it is investigating with assistance from police in Biddeford, Maine State Police and federal authorities. The officer who fired the shots will be placed on leave under standard protocol.

Anti-ICE protests broke out after the shooting, including a demonstration at Senator Susan Collins’ office. State officials asked protesters to remain peaceful and follow instructions from local police.

The shooting is the second fatal incident involving ICE in a week, following the shooting of 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston.

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