A man has been arrested and charged for allegedly shooting paintballs at a federal officer during last week’s protests in downtown Los Angeles.
According to an affidavit filed in court by the FBI, Edwin Osvaldo Manriquez was accused of firing multiple rounds from a paintball gun near the Federal Building on Los Angeles Street in downtown Los Angeles on the afternoon of June 9.
An officer from the Federal Protective Service was hit. The service is a branch of the United States Department of Homeland Security that safeguards federal buildings.
“The paintballs hit him on the head, left ear, left cheek, left neck, and left shoulder,” the affidavit states. The officer was wearing a helmet and protective gear.
Manriquez was charged with assault against a federal officer.
According to the affidavit, officers were stationed at the Federal Building’s main entrance to prevent protesters from entering the structure.
The suspect is accused of pulling the trigger from the passenger seat of a white 2005 Infiniti G35 coupe. After firing the paintball gun, the suspect “threw a hand sign with his left hand while still holding the paintball gun in his right hand,” according to the affidavit. Both the suspected shooter and the driver wore face masks.
According to the court filing, the vehicle’s license plate number was captured on film, which allowed investigators to identify Manriquez and the driver. After obtaining a warrant, FBI agents searched the driver’s home on Friday and “found the paintball gun used in the assault” in the garage, as well as paintballs in both the car and the garage, according to the affidavit.
The man confirmed to the FBI that he was driving the vehicle when the paintball rounds were fired, according to the affidavit.
According to the document, the suspected shooter and the driver disagreed about shooting at federal officers in text messages exchanged on the night of June 9. “If they come after me for the paintball… I apologize, bruh, but I’m not going to jail,” the driver wrote.
“[T]hey ain’t [gonna] get us… we had our faces covered,” the suspect allegedly texted back.
“I told you not to shoot them, bruh; they’re not part of immigration,” the driver replied.
“And you literally shot one in the face, bro… better hope they don’t come to me,” the driver wrote later.
The suspect was apprehended on Friday and appeared in front of a federal magistrate on Monday. According to Laura Eimiller, an FBI spokesperson, Manriquez was released on bond and placed under home monitoring.
