A shooting involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shut down access ramps between Interstate 5 and Highway 130 near Patterson on Tuesday morning, officials said.
The on- and off-ramps at Sperry Avenue remain closed, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post. The sheriff’s office did not provide details about the events leading up to the shooting except that a suspect was transported to a local hospital for “further medical attention,” the Facebook post stated.
In a statement shared with SFGATE, ICE Director Todd Lyons said officers were attempting to stop a gang member who is wanted for questioning in El Salvador in connection with a homicide case. The man allegedly tried to run officers over when they tried to stop him, Lyons said. ICE agents subsequently shot at the suspect, and the FBI is on the scene, he said.
Tom Olsen, a spokesperson for the California Highway Patrol, told SFGATE that the shooting happened sometime after 7 a.m., and as of 12:45 p.m., the ramps were still closed. He said the off-ramp is a “major artery” into Patterson.
Authorities do not have an estimated time for when the ramps will reopen, Olsen said. The sheriff’s office’s post said that “motorists should expect significant delays” and avoid the area.