Officer injured as van rams vehicles amid Charlotte immigration raids

A law enforcement officer was injured Sunday afternoon after a man allegedly drove a van toward officers and rammed their vehicles during an operation in Charlotte, as immigration raids swept across the North Carolina city.

The suspect — a U.S. citizen — accelerated his van at officers conducting an enforcement operation near the University City area, according to an X post from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The driver then fled, triggering a “dangerous high-speed chase through a densely populated area” before agents managed to box him in, DHS said. 

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“During the chase, he attempted to ram into law enforcement vehicles — posing a serious public safety threat,” DHS said in a statement. “As agents were boxing him in — the driver proceeded to ram law enforcement vehicles in an attempt to escape.”

One officer was injured in the incident, according to DHS.

After the suspect was arrested, agents discovered a firearm inside the van, officials confirmed.

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“The perpetrator has prior arrests for resisting law enforcement, public disturbance and intoxication/ disruptive conduct,” according to DHS.

The encounter unfolded as federal agents launched a major immigration enforcement operation in Charlotte over the weekend.

U.S. Border Patrol agents were seen on Saturday making arrests across the city of more than 900,000 residents, according to the Associated Press.

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The operation is part of a federal push to ensure “Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed,” according to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. 

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The operation comes months after the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, aboard a Charlotte light-rail train.

It also follows similar immigration enforcement raids recently conducted in California, Illinois, Oregon and New York.

DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.