Officer injured as van rams vehicles amid Charlotte immigration raids
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On Sunday afternoon, as immigration raids continued through the North Carolina city, a law enforcement officer was injured during an operation in Charlotte when a man drove a van toward officers and crashed into their vehicle.
According to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) X dispatch, the suspect, a U.S. citizen, sped his van toward officers conducting an enforcement operation near the University City area.
The driver then fled, triggering a “dangerous, high-speed chase through a densely populated area” before agents managed to pin him down, DHS said.
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“During the chase, he attempted to crash into law enforcement vehicles, posing a serious public safety threat,” DHS said in a statement. he said. “As agents pinned him down, the driver began crashing into law enforcement vehicles in an attempt to escape.”
One police officer was injured in the incident, according to DHS.
Authorities confirmed that agents found a firearm inside the van after the suspect was arrested.
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FILE PHOTO: Homeland Security Department of Investigation Officers use a drone to search for two men who fled the scene after being stopped selling flowers on the side of the road on November 16, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
“The perpetrator has prior arrests for resisting law enforcement, public nuisance, and intoxication/disruptive conduct,” according to DHS.
The encounter came as federal agents launched a massive immigration enforcement operation in Charlotte over the weekend.
U.S. Border Patrol agents were seen arresting more than 900,000 residents across the city on Saturday, according to the Associated Press.
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FILE PHOTO: A Department of Homeland Security agent stands guard as protesters demonstrate against raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outside the DHS office in Charlotte, North Carolina, on November 16, 2025. (PETER ZAY/AFP via Getty Images)
The operation is part of a federal initiative to ensure “Americans are safe and public safety threats are eliminated,” according to DHS Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
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The operation comes months after 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was fatally stabbed aboard a Charlotte light rail train.
This also follows similar recent immigration enforcement raids in California, Illinois, Oregon and New York.
DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
