A recent incident involving a Columbian immigrant and an ICE operations has left the individual dead. There are a lot of outlets and news sources at this point in time attempting to paint the picture for the public, but the main problem with these brushes is that we do not have all the evidence. Today we will discuss a few aspects of this incident that has left a father as well as a husband dead.
What Happened?
- Ice officers were conducting enforcement operations in Biddeford, Maine.
- A 26 year old Colombian national, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, was shot and killed by an ICE officer.
- He was not the target of the operation, but became involved per officials
- Investigations are currently underway by Maine Attorney General, FBI, and DHS.
- Involved officer has been placed on administrative leave.
Federal Standpoint
The current federal standpoint resulting from this incident is the following. Agents were attempting to stop the vehicle, the vehicle began to flee, vehicle posed an immediate danger to officers or the public, and the officers fired at the individual in the vehicle. The framing the federal standpoint has is officer safety was a main concern, there was a split second decision to be made, the vehicle was used as deadly force, and there was legal justification for the use of force.
The federal standpoint comes from mainly US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, and Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Witness/Advocacy Standpoint
Witnesses of the event and immigration rights groups have a very different standpoint from this incident. Statements from this side of things include the individual in the vehicle was surrounded, agents rammed/boxed-in the vehicle, he was not the intended target, he had work authorization and a social security number, officers escalated the encounter, and deadly force was unnecessary. The framing from witnesses/advocacy is that the family man was surrounded, trapped, and executed by agents.
Advocacy group standpoints mainly come from Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, Presente! Maine, and Project Relief Maine.
Facts
So all of this leads up to a major question of what actually did happen and what do we know at this point in time.
- Someone died during a lawful enforcement operation.
- The dead individual was not the intended target.
- Investigations are underway.
- Witnesses and DHS have significant disagreements about the encounter.
It’s important not to rush to conclusions as the individual could have been responsible for the shooting and agents could be responsible for improper use of force. There are too many unknowns to make statements that are concrete. We technically do not know what the vehicle was doing when the bullets were fired. What we need to do now is wait for body cam video (if any exists), surveillance video, bystander videos, forensic reconstruction, vehicle damage, officer positions, and witness statements. One of the main problems the advocacy groups have is that the officers were not wearing bodycams during the encounter which is going to make it more difficult to conduct independent reconstruction.
More Information
The shooting prompted strong criticism from liberal groups, protestors, and Maine residents. Several of them have said the incident has made them feel less safe within the state of Maine. Much of the public response has focused on demands of clearer explanation of what occurred before the fatal shots were fired which is under investigation.
Per the official statement from fed sources, immigration enforcement was being conducted involving an individual subject to a final order of removal from the United States. During this operation officials stated a white KIA approached or moved toward the officer and the agents attempted to stop this vehicle. The driver allegedly fled from the officers who were commanding him to get out of the vehicle. During this encounter agents determined that the vehicle posed a threat to public and officer safety. Witnesses reported hearing four gunshots and the driver was fatally wounded.
There are now reports that agents were directed to suspend certain vehicle stop tactics following this incident as well as a Texas incident.
Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero
Who was he? A 26 year old man from Columbia who was a father to a 3 year old daughter and a husband. He was a delivery driver who did some odd jobs on the side including cleaning vet clinics. Neighbors described him as a kind and hardworking individual who always wanted to help out those in need. There is a current GoFundMe created to help the family with funeral costs as well as additional potential costs. Right now it has raised a total of $281k out of the $400k they are trying to raise.