Man shot by federal agent charged with assault after alleged ramming during ICE stop in LA

An undocumented immigrant and a law enforcement officer were wounded when an officer fired shots during a targeted enforcement traffic stop in Los Angeles, according to federal officials.

The man had allegedly tried to "evade arrest" by using his car to ram a law enforcement vehicle, which prompted the officers to fire "defensive shots," striking the man in the elbow, a Department of Homeland Security official said Tuesday.

A deputy U.S. Marshal was also struck in the hand by a ricochet bullet, according to authorities.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli identified the man involved in the alleged ramming as Carlitos Ricardo Parias, 44.

Parias, who Essayli said is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico living in Los Angeles, has been charged with assault on a federal officer and is expected to make an initial appearance on Wednesday at the Roybal Federal Building in downtown L.A.

Parias maintains a well-known TikTok account under the name RichardLA18, with about 130,000 followers, and frequently follows federal immigration operations in Los Angeles, according to a community organization.

"This morning, Parias rammed his car into agents’ vehicles after they boxed him in and ordered him to submit to arrest," Essayli said in a statement. "Parias, who had previously avoided capture by immigration authorities, refused to comply with agents’ orders and escalated what could have been a simple arrest into a life-threatening situation."

Essayli said Parias rammed into law enforcement vehicles in front of and behind him and spun his car's tires, causing it to fishtail.

"Ultimately, an agent opened fire, wounding Parias and a deputy U.S. marshal, who was hit with a ricochet bullet," Essayli said. "Fortunately, both the deputy marshal and Parias are expected to recover."

Both were taken to the hospital, the official said.