Several suspects are in custody after a police officer was injured in a shooting at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Alvarado, Texas, in the late-night hours of the Fourth of July, officials said.
Just before 11 p.m., the Alvarado Police Department said it was called to the 1200 block of Sunflower Lane, outside the ICE Prairieland Detention Facility, on a report of a suspicious person. When officers arrived, they saw a person who appeared to be carrying a firearm, according to a news release.
Alvarado police said that when one of the first responding officers tried to engage with the person, an unknown number of suspects opened fire. At least one bullet struck an officer in the neck, police said.
The injured officer was flown from the scene to a Fort Worth hospital, was treated and later released, Alvarado police said.
According to Alvarado police, several armed suspects were taken into custody after trying to flee the scene.
At this time, the suspects’ names have not been released, and police are investigating the motive.
A federal law enforcement source told CBS News Saturday that local police arrested eight people. The official said some of those apprehended were wearing body armor.
The source told CBS News that early reports indicate that more than a dozen masked individuals dressed in black arrived at the Prairieland ICE detention facility late Friday night and vandalized vehicles and security cameras in the parking lot.
The individuals launched fireworks in an apparent effort to lure law enforcement, the source said.
When reached by CBS News, the FBI declined to comment on the investigation.
Justice Department closely monitoring incident
The Justice Department said Saturday morning it was “closely monitoring the attacks on DHS facilities.”
“We are closely monitoring the attacks on DHS detention facilities in Prairieland, TX, and Portland, OR, and are coordinating with the USAOs and our law enforcement partners,” Justice Department Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a social media post. “The Department has zero tolerance for assaults on federal officers or property and will bring the full weight of the law against those responsible.”
Blanche appeared to be referencing an incident that occurred in mid-June in which three people were arrested outside an ICE facility in Portland after clashing with law enforcement, according to a report from CBS affiliate KOIN-TV.
Alvarado police are asking anyone with information concerning the incident to call 817-790-0919.
