On February 11, a law enforcement officer in Charleston County, South Carolina was shot in the chest by Floriberto Perez-Nieto, a Mexican national who had previously been deported from the United States. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released details about the incident and Perez-Nieto’s immigration history.
Local authorities reported that sheriff deputies first responded to Johns Island on February 10 after receiving reports of gunfire but did not locate a suspect at that time. Hours later, deputies were called back to the area when Perez-Nieto returned. Officers identified his vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. During the attempt to evade arrest, Perez-Nieto fired at officers, striking one deputy in the chest. Deputies returned fire; Perez-Nieto was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The officer who was shot survived due to wearing body armor.
Assistant Secretary Tricia Mclaughlin stated: “This criminal illegal alien illegally obtained a firearm and nearly killed a law enforcement officer. Thankfully, the officer’s body armor saved his life. There could have been quite a different tragic outcome for this officer and his family.”
Perez-Nieto had previously entered the United States without inspection by an immigration official and was removed from the country on February 20, 2019. Authorities said he later re-entered unlawfully at an unknown date.
