Coast Guard opens fire on U-Haul driver speeding toward California base gate while defying 'stop' order

Security stationed at a California Coast Guard base’s entrance on Thursday night opened fire after a driver in a U-Haul truck ignored their commands to stop. The incident occurred at around 10 pm outside Coast Guard Base Alameda.

Video taken by local KTVU reporter Henry Lee showed personnel with firearms drawn, shouting for the driver to stop as the U-Haul reversed towards them. As the truck approached, the personnel opened fire, and the U-Haul truck was seen speeding away from the gate.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that "Coast Guard security personnel standing watch on Coast Guard Island observed a vehicle driving erratically and attempting to weaponize the vehicle to ram into Coast Guard Base Alameda."

Coast Guard personnel "issued multiple verbal commands to stop the vehicle, the driver failed to comply and proceeded to put the vehicle in reverse — suddenly accelerating backwards at a high rate of speed directly toward them. When the vehicle’s actions posed a direct threat to the safety of Coast Guard and security personnel, law enforcement officers discharged several rounds of defensive live fire."

No Coast Guard personnel were injured; however, two civilians were injured. They are expected to survive, the DHS said. The driver of the truck was struck in the stomach "and is being held for mental health evaluation." One bystander was struck by a fragment and was treated at a local hospital and released.

CBS News reported that the U-Haul truck had been parked outside of the base for most of the day. The base had been the site of a protest, where agitators blocked the entrance to the island on which the base is situated. Flash bangs and smoke grenades were deployed at one point to disperse the crowd, and at least two people were detained.

Agitators gathered outside the base after it was revealed that the Trump administration was planning to expand its crackdown on illegal immigration to the Bay Area, and that the base would be the staging area for Border Patrol agents. Trump, however, announced on Thursday afternoon that the surge of forces would not go forward after speaking with Mayor Daniel Lurie and tech leaders in the area. Despite this, the agitators remained at the base gate.