A U.S. deputy marshal and a suspect were wounded by gunfire Tuesday morning, Oct. 21, during a traffic stop in South Los Angeles that turned violent during the capture of an accused undocumented immigrant, according to federal officials.
The shooting was reported about 8:50 a.m. in the 400 block of East 20th Street, said Officer Luis Alanis, a spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ICE officers and U.S. deputy marshals pulled over an undocumented resident who had “previously escaped from custody,” Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement.
The suspect then rammed his car into law enforcement vehicles and tried to flee, McLaughlin said.
Officers fired weapons and hit the suspect in the elbow, she said, with the marshal getting hit in a hand by a ricocheting bullet.
Both the officer and the suspect were taken to a hospital.
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Bill Essayli, the acting U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said in a social media post on X late Tuesday that the suspect has been charged in a criminal complaint with assault on a federal officer. He is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court on Wednesday.
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The suspect is Richard Parias Ramales, said his lawyer, Carlos Jurado. He is a popular TikTok creator who goes by Richard Noticias LA and Richard LA. He posts videos and does live streams throughout Los Angeles in Spanish, often showing viewers law enforcement responses and arrests.
After the confrontation, Parias Ramales’ lawyer was attempting to gain access to Dignity Health California Hospital Medical Center, where his client was getting treated. Parias Ramales is “beloved in the community because he reports police activity within the community,” Jurado said.
Jurado told reporters that Parias Ramales is a pacifist.
“It’s difficult to trust every word that comes from DHS,” Jurado said, according to CBS Los Angeles. “What we know about Richard is that he’s a pacifist guy. He’s very calm. A lot of the police officers here know him. They know he’s very respectful. In fact, the city of Los Angeles has awarded him for the work that he does in the community.”
The injured U.S. deputy marshal suffered non-life-threatening injuries, said Brady McCarron, a deputy chief with the U.S. Marshals Service.
“The marshals were attempting to assist in an arrest of a suspect wanted for illegal entry,” McCarron said.
The Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Los Angeles Police Department were investigating what happened, McCarron said.
Los Angeles police officers only provided “outer perimeter traffic control at the scene of a federal investigation,” according to a social media post by the department. No LAPD officer was otherwise involved in the operation, that agency said.
“These are the consequences of conduct and rhetoric by sanctuary politicians and activists who urge illegal aliens to resist arrest,” McLaughlin said in her statement. “Resisting arrest puts the safety of illegal aliens, law enforcement, and the public at risk.”
Federal officers conducting immigration enforcement have faced increased assaults, McLaughlin said.
“We are once again calling on sanctuary politicians, agitators, and the media to turn the temperature down and stop calling for violence and resistance against ICE law enforcement,” McLaughlin said.
Later Tuesday, vehicles with flung-open doors positioned near one another sat beyond yellow police tape along 20th. South Central residents gathered outside of the perimeter, which was directly across the street from the Santee Education Complex high school.
A 15-year-old girl was in her homeroom class when a message went over the school’s speakers alerting students that the campus was going on lockdown, which ended up lasting about an hour.
“Kids were running inside when it happened,” she said. “It did feel scary.”
Los Angeles City council member Curren Price Jr.’s team posted on social media that they were “deeply saddened” by “Richard LA” being detained and shot, noting that Price’s deputy chief of staff had recently presented Parias Ramales with a certificate of recognition. The immigration enforcement that led to the shooting took place in Price’s district, District 9.
“Richard is a pillar of our community, a fearless citizen journalist whose authentic storytelling has consistently uplifted the unheard voices of South Central Los Angeles,” the post read in part. “His unfiltered portrayal of real life has fostered a loyal following, both on TikTok and throughout our City.”
