x
Breaking News
More () »

Man killed by ICE agent was shot in the back

Mario Bass was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on February 23.

Dumfries, Va (WUSA9) — The man who was shot and killed by an ICE officer in Dumfries, Va., was shot in the back.

The officer was part of the federal Marshall’s task force attempting to arrest Mario Bass.

“I passed by the mirror the other day and, I had a hood on my head and I said, ‘damn that’s Mario.'”

Daniel Williams never realized how much his son Mario Bass looked like him until after his son was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on February 23rd.

RELATED: Family of Va. man shot by ICE officer says he was unarmed

Williams will never forget the phone call from his son Montre.

“Montre called me and said ‘Pop he’s gone’, I’m like, ‘Who gone?’ ‘Mario’s dead, Pop.’ I’m like, ‘ what are you telling me?’ ‘Mario’s dead,’ I’m like, ‘God, no!’"

Williams received a death certificate from the state medical examiners office which says Mario’s cause of death was a “gunshot wound to the back.”

“It says he was shot in the back and that’s my biggest concern. How can you shoot me in the back if I’m struggling for your gun? I’m running away that’s the only way I can be shot in the back,” said Williams.

"He was just trying to get away," said Montre Bass.

It happened at the Days Inn in Dumfries. The ICE officer was part of a U.S. Marshall’s Capital Area Regional task force looking to arrest Bass.

Prince William County Police said Bass had 11 outstanding warrants, two for felony abduction and domestic violence. Those had been recently filed by Bass’s ex-girlfriend, says Mario’s family.

RELATED: Va. prosecuting attorney will not charge ICE officer in fugitive shooting

They believe she called police and told them where he was. His family said he was at the hotel with a new girlfriend.

Family members also saw a text from Mario telling his ex that he was armed. He was not. The family believes he was trying to get his ex to not call police.

When officers arrived, Bass crashed through a two-story rear window. Police said he landed near the ICE agent and then jumped up and assaulted the officer. Police said there was a scuffle between the two when the federal officer fired one shot.

Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul Ebert confirms Bass did not have a gun, but did have two pocket knives on him, however he was not holding them.

Williams and his son Montre Bass want to know what happened on the ground.

“I would love to know, but there was only two people in the alley that night. There was Mario and the officer that did the shooting,” said Williams.

He wants to see charges filed against the officer.

“Yes-ma’am, I would love to. If there’s anything chargeable, charge this man because there are too many young black men being killed for no reason, and my son didn’t have no violent crimes, none," he said.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Ebert decided he does not have jurisdiction to prosecute since the ICE officer was working as part of a federal task force.

The U.S. Justice Department declined to comment whether its investigating. ICE is conducting an internal investigation into the shooting, that is not a criminal investigation

WUSA9 does know the identity of the ICE officer who shot Mario Bass, but an ICE spokesperson has asked WUSA9 to not release the name for safety concerns.

Before You Leave, Check This Out