Man Shot by ICE Agents Charged with Assault on Federal Officer

Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, a Salvadoran national, was shot 7 times by ICE agents during an arrest attempt in California.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 2:40pm

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An extreme close-up photograph of shattered car window glass reflecting a faint red light, conveying the dramatic and violent nature of the incident without depicting any actual violence or victims.The violent encounter between ICE agents and Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez exposes ongoing tensions over the use of force by immigration enforcement.Patterson Today

The Department of Justice has charged Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, a 36-year-old Salvadoran national living in Patterson, California, with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon - his car - during an encounter with ICE agents last week. Hernandez was shot seven times by the agents but was not charged with any other crimes, including the murder that ICE had initially said they wanted to question him about.

Why it matters

The incident has raised questions about the use of force by ICE agents and the circumstances under which they can open fire, as well as the agency's justification for attempting to arrest Hernandez in the first place given his acquittal of murder charges in El Salvador in 2019.

The details

According to prosecutors, ICE agents were trying to arrest Hernandez because he is "illegally present in the United States." During the encounter, agents said Hernandez kept his car running and did not comply with their orders to exit the vehicle. After agents broke the car window, Hernandez allegedly struck an agent with his car and then reversed and accelerated towards other agents, prompting them to open fire. Hernandez's attorney and fiancée, however, have provided a different account, saying officers fired on Hernandez before he backed up his car.

  • On April 3, Hernandez was stopped by Turlock police for a cracked windshield on his fiancée's Toyota.
  • On April 7, ICE agents attempted to arrest Hernandez around 6:30 a.m. near an on-ramp to Interstate 5 in Patterson, California.

The players

Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez

A 36-year-old Salvadoran national living in Patterson, California who was shot seven times by ICE agents during an arrest attempt.

Patrick Kolasinski

The attorney representing Hernandez, who has provided a different account of the incident than prosecutors.

Department of Justice

The agency that charged Hernandez with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The federal agency that attempted to arrest Hernandez, initially claiming they wanted to question him about a murder.

Turlock Police

The local police department that stopped Hernandez a few days before the ICE encounter for a cracked windshield.

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What they’re saying

“He wasn't doing what they asked for, just stepping out of the vehicle and surrender. He was simply saying he wanted to call his wife and then somebody shot at him.”

— Patrick Kolasinski, Attorney for Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez

What’s next

A judge will determine in the next 48 hours whether to release Hernandez on $50,000 bond as his attorney requested. Hernandez also faces an ICE hold, which his legal team will address separately.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing tensions and concerns around the use of force by immigration enforcement agencies like ICE, as well as questions about the justification for arresting individuals who have previously been cleared of serious charges.