FBI declines to discuss the Harrisburg shooting investigation
Federal Bureau of InvestigationFederal law-enforcement agency, statement sent by email
The FBI said it responded to assist on-scene after the July 1 shooting and that Department of Justice policy prevents it from commenting on the nature of any investigations.
“The FBI responded to assist on-scene immediately following this morning’s shooting incident in Harrisburg ... Department of Justice policy prevents us from commenting on the nature of any investigations that may or may not be occurring.”
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
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's first report on the morning of July 1, 2026. It places the shooting in the 400 block of South 17th Street in Harrisburg's Allison Hill neighborhood, says Harrisburg police were not involved and only helped secure the scene, and says the FBI is investigating.
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.
Before the quotation
The FBI responded to the scene on July 1 and is investigating the shooting with help from county detectives, PennLive reported.
After the quotation
Harrisburg police said the FBI was handling the investigation and that the department was not involved.
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 FBI, which PennLive and Harrisburg police say is handling the investigation, expressly declined to discuss the investigation and cited Justice Department policy, so no position on the shot can be attributed to it.
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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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The Dispute Index. "FBI declines to discuss the Harrisburg shooting investigation". First published: 2026-09-25. Last updated: 2026-09-25. https://disputeindex.com/events/2573-the-fbi-said-it-responded-to-assist-on