The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General is investigating a shooting incident in Morris County involving federal immigration officers.
The incident happened Tuesday morning in Roxbury Township.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security says that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were attempting to arrest a man from Honduras.
The spokesperson says that Jesus Fabian Lopez-Banegas is a “criminal illegal alien.” DHS states that Lopez-Banegas has a criminal history that includes drug trafficking, drug possession and driving under the influence.
DHS says that while agents were trying to arrest Lopez-Banegas, he rammed into a law enforcement vehicle and “weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over.”
Officials say the officer shot out the tires of Lopez-Banegas’s vehicle “to stop the threat.”
Lopez-Banegas was taken into ICE custody. No injuries were reported.
“Our officers are facing a 3,200% increase in vehicle attacks and a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them as they put their lives on the line to arrest vicious criminal illegal aliens,” the DHS spokesperson wrote in a statement.
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The New Jersey attorney general is investigating the incident, which is standard when a member of law enforcement fires a weapon during an investigation in New Jersey.
“We recognize that matters of this nature raise concerns within our communities. Public safety remains our top priority. As Acting Attorney General for the State of New Jersey, it is my duty to protect the safety of residents of this state and uphold the Constitution. I will do everything in my power to fulfill this responsibility,” Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport wrote in a statement.
The attorney general is asking anyone who has video or information about the incident to call 1-844-OPIA-TIP (1-844-674-2847).
A warehouse on Route 46 in Roxbury Township is reportedly a location being considered for a new ICE processing or detention center.
But Roxbury Deputy Mayor Mark Crowley says that the town is opposed to the idea. He says that the town council has met with legislative officials to express their opposition.
Crowley says that when the town engages with DHS, there is no direct communication in response.