GLEN BURNIE, Md. — Anne Arundel County Police have issued a statement in an attempt to clarify what transpired during an ICE involved shooting in Glen Burnie on Christmas Eve.
As initially reported by Anne Arundel County Police following the shooting on December 24, ICE agents were conducting an operation and approached a white van that later attempted to run them over.
That detail was later confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security, but it was described as a "targeted immigration enforcement operation."
Those agents then fired at the van, which accelerated and came to rest in a wooded area.
RELATED: ICE agents fire at van that tried to run them over in Glen Burnie, two hospitalized
The driver of the van, identified as Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, was struck by gunfire and taken to an area hospital for treatment.
Another individual, identified as Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel, was reported to be a passenger in the van at the time of the shooting, suffering minor injuries from the incident.
Anne Arundel County Police, however, now say that Serrano-Esquivel was already in ICE custody in a separate vehicle at the time of the shooting.
WMAR-2 News reached out to DHS for comment on Anne Arundel County Police's statement and here is their response.
“On December 24, ICE officers were conducting a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Glen Burnie, Maryland, near Baltimore. After positively identifying the driver of a van as Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, an illegal alien from Portugal. Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was a passenger in one of the ICE vehicles that was rammed.
Officers approached the vehicle and instructed Sousa-Martins to turn off the engine. The driver refused and attempted to flee, then weaponized his vehicles and began ramming his van into several ICE vehicles. He then drove his van directly at ICE officers, it appeared he was trying to run them over. Fearing for their lives and public safety, defensively fired their service weapons, striking the driver. Sousa-Martins then wrecked his van between two buildings, injuring Solomon Antonio Serrano-Esquivel.
Officers rendered immediate medical aid to both the driver of the vehicle and the passenger, who were transported to a local hospital for treatment in stable condition. Thankfully, the ICE officers were not severely injured.
This incident, which is still under investigation, comes as the extremist anti-ICE rhetoric and outright lies of politicians, the news media, activists, and violent agitators continue to fuel a more than 1,150% increase in assaults against ICE officers. Our brave officers are risking their lives every day to keep American communities safe by arresting and removing illegal aliens from our streets. Continued efforts to encourage illegal aliens and violent agitators to actively resist ICE will only lead to more violent incidents, the extremist rhetoric must stop.”
On Wednesday, an ICE officer shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota after she allegedly tried running over an ICE agent.
Vice President JD Vance said Good died in "a tragedy of her own making," adding the officer's actions were justified and in self-defense, which deserved a "debt of gratitude."
READ MORE: Vance says woman shot by ICE in Minneapolis died in 'a tragedy of her own making'
