A 36-year-old California man wounded during a traffic stop by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents is disputing the agency's characterization of him as a gang member and contending that officers opened fire without cause.
Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez was struck by more than six bullets during the encounter Tuesday in Patterson, a small agricultural community in California's central valley, according to his attorney Patrick Kolasinski. The lawyer visited his client at the hospital Thursday and relayed Hernandez's account of the shooting.
Hernandez maintains that federal agents had no justification for firing on him during the stop. He also rejected claims that he is affiliated with any gang, pushing back against what he and his legal team view as a mischaracterization designed to justify the officers' use of force.
The shooting has drawn attention to ICE's conduct during enforcement operations. Questions have surfaced about whether agents followed proper protocol and whether the level of force was appropriate given the circumstances of the initial traffic stop.
Details about what prompted the shooting remain limited, and the incident is expected to face further scrutiny as Hernandez's legal team examines the agency's actions. The case touches on broader concerns about immigration enforcement tactics and officer accountability when weapons are discharged.
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