Illegal alien shot after allegedly ramming car into federal vehicle was once honored by Democrat

More information has been released regarding Carlitos Ricardo Parias, the man federal authorities say attempted to use his vehicle to ram agents’ cars as they carried out his arrest before having to shoot him in self-defense.

Parias, originally from Mexico, was known to law enforcement prior to Tuesday’s shooting. He had established a social media presence by following U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol operations in the city and live-streaming their actions.

‘Vehicles are deadly weapons.’

Known as “Richard LA,” he was honored by the office of Democratic Los Angeles Councilman Curren Price with a “Certificate of Recognition” for documenting ICE operations on TikTok. Just after news broke of the shooting, Price’s official Instagram account posted a photo of Parias receiving the award, calling Parias a “fearless citizen journalist.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli provided a screenshot of a video from the shooting incident on Tuesday appearing to show a suspect turning the wheels of his car while being boxed in by federal agents. Essayli identified the suspect as Parias.

“Parias rammed a Toyota Camry into the law enforcement vehicles in front of and behind him, spun the Camry’s tires, spewing smoke and debris into the air, causing the car to fishtail and causing agents to worry for their safety. An agent breaking the Camry’s driver’s side window was not enough to subdue Parias,” Essayli wrote.

A witness told Fox LA reporter Matthew Seedorff that agents attempted to arrest Parias for nearly 15 minutes before shots were fired. Sound from the video the witness provided indicated that someone was screeching car tires as Essayli described.

RELATED: DHS: Illegal alien shot after ramming federal vehicle during operation

City of Los Angeles

Parias and a U.S. marshal were wounded in the shooting. Both are expected to recover from their injuries, Essayli added.

Essayli revealed that Parias, “a 44-year-old illegal alien from Mexico living in South Los Angeles, is now charged in a criminal complaint with assault on a federal officer” and could face up to eight years in prison if convicted.

“Vehicles are deadly weapons,” Essayli continued. “Anyone who uses them against federal agents risks arrest, imprisonment, and life-threatening injuries. We will continue to use every tool in our legal arsenal to protect our agents and enforce immigration laws passed by Congress.”

As previously reported by Blaze News, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin blamed Democrats for creating a dangerous environment for federal agents carrying out lawful operations.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!