DHS says Ortiz fired in defense of his life
Tricia McLaughlinDepartment of Homeland Security assistant secretary for public affairs
McLaughlin said Jimenez drove at the officers and characterized Ortiz’s gunfire as defensive.
“The car stopped and attempted to run officers over by reversing directly at them without stopping. An ICE officer, fearing for his life, fired defensive shots at the vehicle.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Was ICE Officer Eusebio Ortiz justified in shooting Carlos Jimenez?
On October 30, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation officer Eusebio Ortiz fired a shot that struck U.S. citizen Carlos Jimenez in the shoulder during an immigration enforcement operation in Ontario, California. A federal complaint alleged that Jimenez rapidly reversed his Lexus toward a Customs and Border Protection officer and a stopped Honda, causing the officer to fear a collision. Jimenez's attorneys said he was maneuvering away after warning agents that schoolchildren would soon arrive at a nearby bus stop, and that the bullet entered through the rear passenger window and struck his back shoulder. A federal court later ordered production of officer communications and use-of-force policies. The parties then entered a diversion agreement under which prosecutors may seek dismissal with prejudice after October 31, 2026. The dispute is whether Jimenez's vehicle posed an imminent threat when Ortiz fired.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Contemporaneous Los Angeles Times reporting on the Ontario shooting, including statements from DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin and Rep. Norma Torres.
Before the quotation
DHS was explaining why an ICE officer opened fire during the Ontario traffic-stop encounter.
After the quotation
McLaughlin called the episode an example of the threats ICE officers face while enforcing immigration law.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
She supplies the government’s justification for the shooting and explicitly describes the shots as defensive.
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More from this case
Read the full caseGreg Jackson calls the Jimenez shooting unlawful
“their agreement to dismiss with prejudice bolsters our own argument that the shooting itself was unlawful and the charges against Mr. Jimenez entirely fabricated and baseless. The shooter, Agent Ortiz, violated department policy by firing his weapon at a moving vehicle, and Mr. Jimenez was in fact complying with Mr. Ortiz’s orders to drive away when Mr. Ortiz tried to murder him and shot him anyway.”Read statement
Chad Pennington calls Ortiz’s force improper
“This case is yet another matter stemming from an aggressive ICE traffic stop and interaction with the public that resulted in catastrophic consequences and the subsequent filing of an unsupportable criminal charge. Indeed, this case fits a recent and endemic national pattern of ICE using aggressive traffic stop techniques and then employing the improper use of near-lethal force against an American citizen.”Read statement
Ayah Sarsour calls Ortiz’s force improper
“This case is yet another matter stemming from an aggressive ICE traffic stop and interaction with the public that resulted in catastrophic consequences and the subsequent filing of an unsupportable criminal charge. Indeed, this case fits a recent and endemic national pattern of ICE using aggressive traffic stop techniques and then employing the improper use of near-lethal force against an American citizen.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "DHS says Ortiz fired in defense of his life". First published: 2026-09-22. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1473-mclaughlin-said-jimenez-drove-at-the-officers-and