Federal Agents Shoot Armed Woman After Vehicle Attack in Chicago

Federal agents shot a woman on Chicago's Southwest Side after she allegedly rammed their vehicles and brandished a semi-automatic weapon. The incident occurred during a patrol when agents were "rammed by 10 cars" and "boxed in," according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin. Agents fired "defensive shots" upon discovering the woman was armed. She was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in fair condition. No law enforcement officers were seriously injured. The exact time and location of the shooting were not immediately disclosed. Chicago police records indicate that a Border Patrol agent called for assistance, reporting that approximately 30 agents had been "surrounded by a large crowd of people." However, police officials were not dispatched to assist. A police spokesperson stated that officers later responded to a call of a person shot in the 3900 block of South Kedzie Avenue to document the incident and maintain safety and traffic control. The Chicago Police Department is not involved in the investigation; federal authorities are handling it. An angry crowd gathered in the area Saturday afternoon to protest the shooting and were met with pepper balls and tear gas deployed by federal agents. Elizabeth Ruiz reported that agents had also rammed a vehicle into her son's truck earlier and taken him into custody. Her 21-year-old son, a U.S. citizen, was being held inside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicle nearby. "Why would they take him? He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time," said Ruiz, 51, of Gage Park. "My son has nothing to do with that. They need to let him go." A Brighton Park resident, Matthew, 34, who did not want to share his last name out of fear for his safety, said he looked out the window of his home after hearing roughly four gunshots and saw federal agents. "It's scary and it's wrong," he said. This incident follows a recent fatal shooting by federal immigration agents of a 38-year-old Mexican immigrant during a traffic stop in northwest suburban Franklin Park. Silverio Villegas González was killed on September 12 when he allegedly resisted arrest and attempted to drive his car into ICE officers, dragging one officer who then opened fire, according to DHS. Villegas González was pronounced dead at a hospital. DHS reported that the officer who opened fire had been "seriously injured" during the encounter. However, body-worn camera footage first obtained by the Sun-Times shows that he described his injuries as "nothing major" shortly after the shooting.