ICE says the driver rammed an ICE vehicle before an officer discharged his weapon
U.S. Immigration and Customs EnforcementFederal immigration-enforcement agency, statement issued through a spokesperson
In a statement issued the afternoon of July 1, an ICE spokesperson said the driver "weaponized his car and rammed an ICE law enforcement vehicle", then drove the wrong way on a one-way street, and that an ICE officer discharged his weapon during the incident.
Responding to
ICE said Clemente Lara-Hernandez weaponized his car and rammed an ICE law enforcement vehicle during a targeted vehicle stop, and that an ICE officer discharged his weapon during the incident.
“At approximately 6:15AM, the criminal illegal alien weaponized his car and rammed an ICE law enforcement vehicle. The illegal alien then dangerously drove on the wrong direction on a one-way street and crashed into a civilian vehicle. During the incident, an ICE officer discharged his weapon and one ICE officer sustained a cut to his hand.”
Reporting
Reporting
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Was the ICE officer justified in firing at a driver during a Harrisburg vehicle stop?
On July 1, 2026, ICE officers stopped a white SUV in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and one officer fired at it as it drove away, in what PennLive counted as one shot. ICE said the stop was a targeted operation to arrest Clemente Lara-Hernandez, that he "weaponized his car and rammed an ICE law enforcement vehicle", and that an officer discharged his weapon. PennLive reported that surveillance footage it obtained shows agents breaking the driver's window and the driver then trying to drive around the ICE vehicle, clipping its front end, before an agent fired one shot. FOX43 and WGAL describe the SUV striking an ICE sedan as it pulled away. Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas said the video appears inconsistent with Justice Department deadly-force policy and asked for an independent investigation, while the FBI, which PennLive and Harrisburg police say is handling the investigation, declined to discuss it. The dispute is whether the officer's decision to fire was justified.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
FOX43 reproduces the full statement an ICE spokesperson issued on the afternoon of July 1, 2026. It also reports that a Harrisburg police captain said the department had no involvement in the shooting or the investigation, which the FBI was handling.
Reporting
About this source
PennLive's same-day report on ICE's account of the July 1 shooting. It quotes the FBI's emailed statement, reports that Mayor Wanda Williams and City Council President Danielle Hill declined to comment, and says PennLive could not immediately verify the criminal history ICE cited.
Reporting
About this source
PennLive describes surveillance footage it obtained of the July 1 stop and compares it with ICE's statement that the driver rammed an ICE vehicle. PennLive reports that ICE did not immediately respond to questions about the footage.
Before the quotation
Harrisburg police said they were not involved in the shooting or the investigation, and the FBI was investigating.
After the quotation
ICE said Lara-Hernandez remained at large. On July 2, PennLive reported that ICE did not immediately respond to questions about the surveillance footage.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the officer's decision to fire. The statement offers the alleged ramming of an ICE vehicle as the circumstance in which the officer discharged his weapon, which frames the shot as a response to a vehicle attack. It does not state a conclusion about the shot itself, so the label rests on that framing.
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More from this case
Read the full caseHarrison says nobody was at risk and deadly force was not needed
“Was anybody at risk of serious physical injury or death? And the answer is no ... I don’t think there’s a need for deadly physical force in that situation.”Read statement
Corey says the SUV took sideswipe damage but did not ram its way out
“He takes a little sideswipe damage, but he doesn’t ram his way out of that, by any means. ... If you’re saying that the officers are firing because the car was trying to run them over, then they’d be firing at the car as it was heading towards them, not speeding away from them”Read statement
Rodriguez says ICE agents' actions traumatized the neighborhood and apologizes to affected families
“Recently our neighborhood was traumatized by the acts of ICE agents firing rounds at an individual in the city. ... To the families traumatized due to these actions, I say to you we are truly apologetic and stand with you.”Read statement
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- ICE says the driver rammed an ICE vehicle before an officer discharged his weapon
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The Dispute Index. "ICE says the driver rammed an ICE vehicle before an officer discharged his weapon". First published: 2026-09-25. Last updated: 2026-09-25. https://disputeindex.com/events/2568-in-a-statement-issued-the-afternoon-of-july