ICE officer shoots at fleeing van that struck him during illegal alien arrest operation, NJ police say

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer was injured when he was struck by a van whose driver was fleeing from an arrest operation in Stafford Township in New Jersey, according to police.

A spokesperson for ICE said agents were trying to arrest Friedrich Castillo-Ormeno, of Peru, at about 9:30 a.m. on Route 72 in the Manahawkin community.

'You just see the guy's body just get twisted and mangled, and in that twist, you know, he then pulled out his gun and shot at the van.'

Castillo-Ormeno had been ordered to leave the country by the end of January, but when ICE agents tried to arrest him, he fled in his van and struck one of the officers, according to officials.

That officer fired his gun at the van and possibly blew out the vehicle's back window.

Law enforcement officials are searching for Castillo-Ormeno and the van.

One witness described the incident in unnerving detail to WCAU-TV.

"They tell him to roll down his window; he's inching forward, and you can tell it's getting tense by his inching forward," said Payton Johnson, a resident of the township.

"As soon as he gunned it, you just see the the front of the van, pin the lower half of the officer's body into the officer's car," he added. "You just see the guy's body just get twisted and mangled, and in that twist, you know, he then pulled out his gun and shot at the van.”

Sources told WCAU that the officer who was struck would recover.

A spokesperson for the Stafford Township Police said they were not involved in the ICE operation but were providing help to manage traffic and secure the crime scene. According to New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive, police are restricted from helping federal immigration officers.

RELATED: Democratic congressman claims he forced ICE agents to back off from arresting man outside courtroom

"ICE agents put their lives on the line every day to enforce our nation's laws and protect our communities," Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey said in a statement.

"Yet too many politicians and activists continue to demonize them for doing the job they are sworn to do," he added. "This incident is a reminder of the dangers these brave men and women face. I am grateful the agent is expected to recover, and I will always stand with ICE and law enforcement."

The investigation into the incident has been taken over by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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