Dallas Driver Indicted After Allegedly Ramming ICE Vehicles During December Traffic Stop

Doha Madani|NBC News

2h ago•2 min read

Dallas Driver Indicted After Allegedly Ramming ICE Vehicles During December Traffic Stop

A photo from the indictment against Jerson Lopez-Sanchez. (Eastern District Court of Texas)

Charges Filed: Jerson Lopez-Sanchez, 28, has been indicted on three counts of assault after federal prosecutors say he used his Chevrolet Silverado to ram ICE vehicles during a Dec. 1 traffic stop in Dallas.

What Happened: Prosecutors allege the Silverado reversed into a Jeep, then accelerated into a Chrysler van, causing major front-end damage and deploying airbags. An ICE agent in the van suffered back and neck injuries.

Current Status: Three occupants were detained at the scene; Lopez-Sanchez fled and is not in custody.

Federal prosecutors have indicted 28-year-old Jerson Lopez-Sanchez on three counts of assault after authorities say he used his pickup truck to strike vehicles occupied by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during a traffic stop in Dallas on Dec. 1.

Alleged Incident

According to a grand jury indictment filed in the Eastern District of Texas, ICE agents conducting a routine check boxed in a Chevrolet Silverado that carried five people. Officials say the truck's owner and driver was Lopez-Sanchez. An internal ICE record check allegedly showed he was a foreign national with no lawful entries into the United States and no pending applications for legal status.

The indictment states a Jeep was positioned behind the Silverado and a Chrysler van was in front. Prosecutors allege Lopez-Sanchez reversed the pickup, struck the Jeep to create space, then accelerated into the Chrysler van, briefly crossing into oncoming lanes. Photographs attached to the charging document reportedly show the van's front end crushed and smoke emanating from the engine compartment.

Damage and Injuries

Officials say the force of the impact deployed all of the van's airbags; 911 was called to assist the van's passenger, an ICE agent. The indictment lists injuries to that agent's back and neck. Authorities have not provided a detailed medical update.

Pursuit, Detentions and Current Status

Prosecutors say a third ICE vehicle pursued the Silverado for roughly 10 minutes before the truck stopped on a median. Three occupants of the Silverado were detained at the scene; Lopez-Sanchez and another person reportedly fled on foot. Lopez-Sanchez has been charged but is not in custody and has not surrendered, according to court records.

Statement from Officials: Jay Combs, interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, said the agents were clearly identified as law enforcement and that attacks on officers "are a violent attack and will not be tolerated."

The indictment is the basis for the three counts of assaulting ICE agents. The allegations in the charging document have not been proven in court.

Original reporting from NBC News.

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