A shooting occurred in South Los Angeles Tuesday while immigrant agents, assisted by U.S. Marshals, were serving a warrant to detain an undocumented immigrant, federal authorities said.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said agents were conducting a “targeted enforcement traffic stop” when the undocumented immigrant tried to evade arrest. According to DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin, the immigrant had “previously escaped from custody.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents opened fire at around 8:52 a.m. on E. 20th Street near Washington Boulevard when the suspect allegedly rammed a law enforcement vehicle with his car as he tried to run away.
“Fearing for the safety of the public and law enforcement, our officers followed their training and fired defensive shots,” McLaughlin said in a statement.
The suspect was shot in the elbow while a deputy U.S. Marshal was hit in the hand after a bullet ricocheted, according to the DHS.
The U.S. Marshals Central District of California confirmed a deputy was involved in a “line-of-duty shooting,” saying that the Marshals were trying to assist in an operation to detain a “suspect wanted for illegal entry.” The deputy is in stable condition, the U.S. Marshals Service said.
— U.S. Marshals Service Los Angeles (@USMSLosAngeles) October 21, 2025
Law enforcement sources had also told NBC Los Angeles that the deputy U.S. Marshal and another person were wounded although the injuries were thought to be non-life threatening.
The LAPD confirmed that a person was in custody in connection with the shooting.
The man shot by immigration agents is Carlos Richard Parias, according to a woman who claimed to be his girlfriend. He is also known as Richard LA on TikTok, documenting ICE activity in the community.
Pier Rojas, attorney for the Parias family, said his client is not a dangerous or uncivil person.
“What we know about Richard is that he’s a very pacifist man, very clam,” Rojas said. “We find it very odd what’s being said about him.”
The FBI announced its evidence response team is helping with the shooting investigation, working with federal partners with U.S. Marshals and DHS. The LAPD is also supporting the probe as its officers conducted perimeter traffic control.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was also assisting with the investigation, the sources said.