A traffic stop conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in north Phoenix early Wednesday morning resulted in a shooting that left both an ICE officer and the driver, an undocumented man from Honduras, hospitalized. The FBI is currently leading an investigation into the incident, which they have classified as an “Assault on a Federal Officer (AFO) case.”
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- Individuals: The driver was identified as Jose Garcia-Sorto, a Honduran national. He and his wife, Anahi, are reportedly in the country illegally. The ICE officer who fired their weapon was also taken to the hospital.
- Time & Location: The shooting occurred at 4 a.m. Wednesday on the northbound lanes of Interstate 17 near the Dove Valley Road exit.
- Official Account: According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Garcia-Sorto initially stopped but began to “abruptly” speed away as officers approached his vehicle. DHS officials stated that one officer “was in the path of the vehicle,” and “fearing for his life, the officer defensively discharged his service weapon two times striking Garcia-Sorto’s vehicle.”
- Condition: Garcia-Sorto was hospitalized and is reported to be in stable condition. The officer’s injuries and condition have not been made public, though they were also hospitalized.
- Initial Stop: The reason Garcia-Sorto was initially pulled over by ICE remains unclear.
Wife’s Distress and Lack of Information
Anahi Rodriguez, Garcia-Sorto’s wife, told local media that her husband was on his way to work at the time of the shooting. She and her two young children are awaiting answers, as she claims authorities have given her no information since the incident.
“They (law enforcement) don’t wanna say anything to me,” Rodriguez stated. “They’re only saying that he’s in the hospital, but that he’s in there with a different name, and that they don’t want him to talk, and no one can visit him.”
Despite her pain and belief that the shooting was “unfair,” she offered a measure of grace, saying, “I don’t wish anything bad towards them… I pray for them.”
Investigation Status
The FBI Phoenix Field Office has taken over the investigation under the scope of an Assault on a Federal Officer (AFO) case. After concluding their review, the FBI will turn the results over to the U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Arizona to determine if any federal charges will be filed against Garcia-Sorto. As of the latest reports, there are no further updates on the FBI’s investigation or a charging decision.
