Attorney of man shot in ICE-involved shooting says 18th Street gang allegations are false
The attorney of a man who was shot multiple times in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement-involved shooting in Patterson, California, is claiming ICE attempted to arrest his client based on wrong information.
The shooting occurred on Tuesday near the I-5, when ICE Director Todd Lyons said federal officers were attempting to arrest a man they claimed was an 18th Street gang member when he “weaponized his vehicle” and attempted to run over an officer.
Lyons claimed that the suspect, later identified as Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, is wanted in El Salvador for questioning in connection with a murder.
Attorney Patrick Kolasinski said he spoke with Mendoza Hernandez in the hospital on Thursday, where he’s being treated for multiple gunshot wounds, including to his face.
Mendoza Hernandez said he was not attempting to run over officers, as ICE claimed, but was driving away because he was being shot, according to Kolasinski.
“It's not that his movement of the vehicle triggered the shooting, but quite the other way around, and he fled in a panic because he was being fired on,” Kolasinski said.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Kolasinski said that he obtained a document from the government of El Salvador that he claims proves Mendoza Hernandez was once arrested and accused of murder, but was acquitted.
Kolasinski shared with reporters what appears to be a judicial document from El Salvador that says Mendoza Hernandez was acquitted of homicide in 2019.
ABC News has reached out to DHS for comment about Kolasinski’s claims. ABC News has not independently verified the authenticity of the document.
Mendoza Hernandez also denied being part of any gang, according to Kolasinski. The attorney also said his client has no criminal record in the United States except for a traffic ticket.
ICE has alleged that Mendoza Hernandez is a known member of the 18th Street Gang, which was founded in Los Angeles, but according to Kolasinski, Mendoza Hernandez said that he has only been to Los Angeles a couple of times with his fiancée.
