A federal immigration agent fired shots at a box truck Thursday morning in the parking lot of a Food Lion in Antioch. The Metro Nashville Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement have confirmed that ICE agents were involved and that the shooting occurred as they were trying to apprehend someone.
An MNPD spokesperson says an ICE agent called the department to the parking lot just after 7 a.m. and informed them that an agent had fired his weapon while attempting to make an apprehension. The department says Metro officers were not involved except to protect the scene until the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security could take over and begin their investigation.
The Tennessean's Natalie Neysa Alund spoke to an ICE spokesperson and reports this from the scene:
%{[ data-embed-type="oembed" data-embed-id="https://twitter.com/nataliealund/status/1169631610339307525" data-embed-element="aside">
Multiple outlets report that the FBI is searching for a suspect who may be charged with assault on a federal officer.
Update (1:30 p.m.): Mayor David Briley responds to the incident in a statement:
The federal government’s inability to arrive at comprehensive immigration reform results in situations like what happened in Antioch this morning. This is exactly what we don’t want happening in our city. MNPD is no longer involved and has turned the scene over to the FBI.MNPD is currently looking for the victim of this shooting so that he may receive any needed medical assistance. My top priority remains the safety and well-being of all of the residents of Nashville.
Pith asked MNPD: Is MNPD looking for this person on behalf of federal law enforcement or in conjunction with federal law enforcement? If and when MNPD finds him will they turn him over to the feds?
MNPD spokesperson Don Aaron sent this statement:
The overriding concern is for the man’s health. We do not know if he was injured this morning. If so, he needs to receive medical attention. We are not aware of any criminal warrant for the individual and, consequently, are not seeking him in any way other than to ensure that he is medically ok. The MNPD is not involved in the shooting investigation.
Update (1:30 p.m., Sept. 6): The Tennessean reports the man shot by ICE was released from the hospital Friday morning after surgery and is not currently under arrest. In a statement to Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, the man's attorney says he was unarmed and that ICE agents "did not have a warrant for his arrest and the man was exercising his right to leave the scene."
