U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday suspended traffic stops related to immigration enforcement, two sources briefed on the matter said, after agents shot two men on six separate days during stops in Texas and Maine.
The policy change came a day after an ICE officer fatally shot a driver in the Maine coastal town of Biddeford, about 24 kilometers (15 miles) south of Portland.
The US Department of Homeland Security issued a statement nearly 12 hours after the shooting claiming that the officer, “fearing for public safety”, opened fire when the driver tried to flee from agents who were trying to pull him over.
Officials did not say how the driver could pose a threat to the public or if that would justify the use of deadly force.
According to ICE policy, officers can only use deadly force when there is an “imminent risk of serious bodily injury or death to the officer or another person” and is not authorized “only to prevent the escape of a fleeing suspect”.
While some video footage of the incident has surfaced, there is still no public video showing the actual shooting.
