An ICE officer has fatally shot a man in Maine during what authorities described as a routine removal operation, the state’s attorney general’s office confirmed on Monday afternoon. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
The shooting occurred as federal agents were carrying out an “enforcement operation related to a final order of removal”, the office of the Maine attorney general said.
The man who was killed around 7.20am had reportedly “attempted to flee in a vehicle in the direction of the officer”, the agency said, prompting the use of deadly force.
Senator Angus King said he spoke with homeland security secretary Markwayne Mullin following the fatal shooting in Biddeford, Maine. King urged state and local officials to remain involved in the FBI-led investigation. He also raised concerns that ICE agents were not wearing body cameras.
The person who was killed during the altercation involving ICE is believed to be a 26-year-old man from Colombia, according to the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and Presente! Maine. He has not been identified further.
Witnesses described the man as being shot in the head, though ICE and DHS have not yet commented.
Dozens of demonstrators were seen in Biddeford, Maine, where the shooting occurred, hours after the incident chanting “get ICE out” and calling out Republican senator Susan Collins for her complicit votes supporting the DHS agency.