Maine Senator Angus King, an independent, stated on Monday (July 13) that a man in a car in the state of Maine was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. The man was an illegal immigrant. Preliminary testimony from the Maine Attorney General’s Office indicates that the man was “attempting to drive towards” an ICE officer.
Speaking at a press conference in Portland, Maine, Senator King shared that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin briefed him on the shooting incident in Biddeford.
King told reporters, “He was in a car at the time, and the Secretary used the term ‘weaponizing the vehicle’… He was shot dead by an ICE agent… I told the Secretary that we demand a thorough, transparent, and public investigation into this matter.”
The man was wanted for suspected violations of immigration laws, but King’s spokesperson informed the Associated Press that Mullin told King the man was not actually the target.
King raised concerns about whether ICE officers were under threat and if the threats justified the use of lethal force. He noted that the agents involved in the shooting did not have body cameras, which troubled him.
Federal Congresswoman Chellie Pingree of Maine, a Democrat, was informed that the person shot by ICE officials was not the individual they intended to apprehend.
Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, mentioned on social media that she was informed the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General would lead the investigation into the shooting incident, with assistance from the FBI.
The Maine Attorney General’s Office is also conducting an investigation into the shooting. According to a statement from the office, based on preliminary testimony gathered by investigators, the man was “attempting to drive towards” an ICE officer.
The Biddeford Police Department stated in a release that they responded to the incident and provided on-site security, advising inquiries regarding the matter to be directed to ICE.
The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition confirmed that the individual shot was a 26-year-old Colombian man who had a work permit and a Social Security number in the United States. His neighbors indicated that he was married and had a two to three-year-old daughter.
Last week, an ICE agent fatally shot a Mexican illegal immigrant in Houston. DHS reported that officers believed one of the men resembled a person they were seeking, and when the driver attempted to hit the ICE agent with the vehicle, the agent fired in self-defense. The FBI is investigating this shooting incident.
(Reference from CBS NEWS)