US citizen shot by ICE officer near school bus stop sues Trump administration for $25m
A US citizen who was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in the country’s southern California has filed a $25 million lawsuit against the federal government, accusing authorities of using excessive force, wrongfully arresting him and pursuing a case based on fabricated allegations.
Carlos Jimenez was reportedly driving to work at a food pantry on October 30, 2025, when he encountered ICE officers conducting an operation in his neighbourhood. According to the complaint filed in federal court on Friday, Jimenez approached the officers around 7 am to warn them that children would soon be arriving at a nearby bus stop.
According to the Guardian, the lawsuit alleges that an ICE officer, later identified as Eusebio Ortiz, pointed a gun at Jimenez's face, abused him verbally and threatened to shoot if he did not leave. The complaint cites audio recorded over the officer's radio.
Jimenez then claimed to comply and attempted a three-point turn because officers' vehicles were blocking his way. However, Ortiz allegedly fired several shots into the car without warning, hitting Jimenez in the back and right shoulder.
The complaint says no officer was in the vehicle's path when the shots were fired and alleges there was no reasonable suspicion or probable cause to stop, threaten or shoot Jimenez.
The department of homeland security (DHS) had said at the time that Jimenez attempted to run over officers by reversing towards them without stopping. It described the officer's gunfire as “defensive” shots.
Later, the justice department charged Jimenez with assaulting a federal officer using a deadly or dangerous weapon. The federal complaint alleged that he had “rapidly accelerated in reverse” towards an officer.
According to the Guardian, the justice department's Los Angeles office has prosecuted 113 people for alleged offences against immigration officers since last spring. A Guardian review found that, as of mid-September, charges against 33 of them had been dismissed and nine others had been acquitted by juries.
Jimenez's lawsuit describes the criminal allegations as “fabricated”. It also points out that, despite DHS's claim that the shooting was defensive, the criminal complaint did not include a statement from Ortiz saying he had felt threatened.
Lawsuit alleges FBI interfered with medical treatment
The complaint further alleges that FBI agents followed Jimenez to the hospital and interfered with his medical care, including by pulling a nurse away and preventing him from speaking to medical staff.
According to the lawsuit, agents removed him from his hospital bed, placed him in a waist restraint and took him back to the shooting site for questioning while a bullet was still lodged in his body.
As per the complaint, Jimenez was bleeding and vomiting in the agents' van when officers told him not to “ruin their vehicle”.
The lawsuit also accuses the FBI of falsely claiming that two neighbours witnessed the incident and told an agent that Jimenez had enough room to drive forward rather than reverse.
However, Jimenez's lawyers allege that both witnesses denied making those statements when interviewed by the defence. They also said they had not known about the shooting until they saw reports about it in the media, according to the complaint.
During the criminal proceedings, defence lawyers sought access to officers' text messages. A judge ordered the government to produce records of agents' communications in May, The Guardian reported.
Prosecutors subsequently agreed to resolve the case through a diversion agreement, under which the charges could be dropped at the end of October if Jimenez met certain conditions. The lawsuit alleges that prosecutors sought to avoid the disclosure of communications and the questioning of an FBI agent accused of fabricating witness statements.
The criminal charges were formally dismissed last week.
Jimenez seeks more than $25 million in damages
The lawsuit seeks more than $25 million in damages, including compensation for lost wages and medical expenses. It alleges excessive force, assault, false arrest and other violations, and says Jimenez still has bullet fragments lodged near his lung.
Justice department spokesperson Ciaran McEvoy did not comment on the lawsuit but said Jimenez “could have exercised his right to take the case to trial, but he instead requested that our office agree to resolve the case through a diversion agreement”.
The case bears similarities to that of Francisco Longoria, another southern California resident who was shot by an ICE officer during a traffic stop last year and later faced criminal charges that were dropped.
Carlos Jimenez was reportedly driving to work at a food pantry on October 30, 2025, when he encountered ICE officers conducting an operation in his neighbourhood. According to the complaint filed in federal court on Friday, Jimenez approached the officers around 7 am to warn them that children would soon be arriving at a nearby bus stop.
According to the Guardian, the lawsuit alleges that an ICE officer, later identified as Eusebio Ortiz, pointed a gun at Jimenez's face, abused him verbally and threatened to shoot if he did not leave. The complaint cites audio recorded over the officer's radio.
Jimenez then claimed to comply and attempted a three-point turn because officers' vehicles were blocking his way. However, Ortiz allegedly fired several shots into the car without warning, hitting Jimenez in the back and right shoulder.
The complaint says no officer was in the vehicle's path when the shots were fired and alleges there was no reasonable suspicion or probable cause to stop, threaten or shoot Jimenez.
The department of homeland security (DHS) had said at the time that Jimenez attempted to run over officers by reversing towards them without stopping. It described the officer's gunfire as “defensive” shots.
Later, the justice department charged Jimenez with assaulting a federal officer using a deadly or dangerous weapon. The federal complaint alleged that he had “rapidly accelerated in reverse” towards an officer.
According to the Guardian, the justice department's Los Angeles office has prosecuted 113 people for alleged offences against immigration officers since last spring. A Guardian review found that, as of mid-September, charges against 33 of them had been dismissed and nine others had been acquitted by juries.
Jimenez's lawsuit describes the criminal allegations as “fabricated”. It also points out that, despite DHS's claim that the shooting was defensive, the criminal complaint did not include a statement from Ortiz saying he had felt threatened.
Lawsuit alleges FBI interfered with medical treatment
The complaint further alleges that FBI agents followed Jimenez to the hospital and interfered with his medical care, including by pulling a nurse away and preventing him from speaking to medical staff.
According to the lawsuit, agents removed him from his hospital bed, placed him in a waist restraint and took him back to the shooting site for questioning while a bullet was still lodged in his body.
As per the complaint, Jimenez was bleeding and vomiting in the agents' van when officers told him not to “ruin their vehicle”.
The lawsuit also accuses the FBI of falsely claiming that two neighbours witnessed the incident and told an agent that Jimenez had enough room to drive forward rather than reverse.
However, Jimenez's lawyers allege that both witnesses denied making those statements when interviewed by the defence. They also said they had not known about the shooting until they saw reports about it in the media, according to the complaint.
During the criminal proceedings, defence lawyers sought access to officers' text messages. A judge ordered the government to produce records of agents' communications in May, The Guardian reported.
Prosecutors subsequently agreed to resolve the case through a diversion agreement, under which the charges could be dropped at the end of October if Jimenez met certain conditions. The lawsuit alleges that prosecutors sought to avoid the disclosure of communications and the questioning of an FBI agent accused of fabricating witness statements.
The criminal charges were formally dismissed last week.
Jimenez seeks more than $25 million in damages
The lawsuit seeks more than $25 million in damages, including compensation for lost wages and medical expenses. It alleges excessive force, assault, false arrest and other violations, and says Jimenez still has bullet fragments lodged near his lung.
Justice department spokesperson Ciaran McEvoy did not comment on the lawsuit but said Jimenez “could have exercised his right to take the case to trial, but he instead requested that our office agree to resolve the case through a diversion agreement”.
The case bears similarities to that of Francisco Longoria, another southern California resident who was shot by an ICE officer during a traffic stop last year and later faced criminal charges that were dropped.
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