A slowed, frame-by-frame review of the footage reveals details absent from the viral clips. At the moment the shot was fired, the ICE officer stood directly in front of the vehicle, positioned only a few feet from the bumper. The car, initially stationary, suddenly accelerated forward.
From that angle, the officer could not see the tires, which means he could not evaluate their direction or determine whether the driver intended to turn.
Suggesting that he should have assessed the trajectory based solely on the steering wheel—while standing inches from the hood—is unrealistic. No officer can rely on assumptions about a driver’s intentions when a two-ton vehicle is moving toward them.
This distinction matters because use-of-force standards measure reasonableness from the officer’s perspective in real time, not from hindsight or slowed video replay. A rapidly accelerating vehicle at close distance is a recognized lethal threat across federal training programs.
The Department of Justice explicitly treats vehicles as deadly weapons when used in this manner. The question is not whether the driver intended to turn. The question is whether a reasonable officer, unable to see tire direction and already within striking range, could fear for his life. The answer is yes.
