The U-Haul incident outside Coast Guard Base Alameda followed a day of protests over a planned federal immigration enforcement action in the Bay Area, ending with Coast Guard security firing on a vehicle that officers say reversed toward a security line. Officials say they issued verbal commands and responded when they believed personnel were in danger; witnesses and demonstrators offer a different, heavily emotional view of what happened. The episode has become a flashpoint in debates over law enforcement, protest tactics, and federal immigration policy.
Tensions that began in the morning around the base in Alameda escalated into a chaotic night scene when a U-Haul parked nearby suddenly started to back toward a line of Coast Guard and law enforcement personnel. Witnesses say officers fired as the vehicle reversed, and the situation left questions about motive, threat perception, and the decisions made in seconds by security personnel. No Coast Guard personnel were reported injured, and the driver’s identity remains publicly unknown.
Officers opened fire Thursday night at a vehicle backing into a line of Coast Guard and law enforcement personnel outside the U.S. Coast Guard base in Alameda, site of a day-long protest against what was originally planned as an immigration enforcement surge in the San Francisco Bay Area.
A KPIX photographer at the scene captured video showing a U-Haul truck reversing toward the base entrance and law enforcement firing their weapons at the vehicle.
Photographer Rick Villaroman said the U-Haul had been parked outside the base for the better part of the day until it inexplicably began to reverse quickly toward officers blocking off the gate.
“He just hit the gas and sped towards them,” Villaroman said. “And that’s when they opened fire. About 20 to 30 rounds.”
The U.S. Coast Guard released an official statement that was posted on X and repeated the sequence of events and their rationale in full. “At approximately 10:00 p.m. (PDT) on Thursday, Coast Guard security personnel standing watch on Coast Guard Island observed a vehicle driving erratically and attempting to back 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. 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 live fire. No Coast Guard personnel were injured during the incident.”
Witness accounts say the driver fled immediately after the shooting and then returned shortly afterward, leaving the vehicle and walking away. Rick Villaroman described returning to the scene and seeing bullet holes in the U-Haul but “no blood in the passenger compartment,” a detail that raises as many questions as it answers about injuries and intent. Authorities are still piecing together the motive, timeline, and forensic evidence from the truck.
The confrontation happened at the end of what multiple demonstrators called a day of peaceful protest against plans to ramp up federal immigration enforcement in San Francisco and surrounding communities. Demonstrators argued the operation would target families and vulnerable residents, and they gathered outside the base to oppose federal action they see as harmful. Emotions ran high on both sides as the crowd swelled and law enforcement set up barricades to protect access to the facility.
One of the demonstrators, a minister named Jorge Bautista, framed the protest in moral terms when he told reporters, “It’s clear that we’re here to be on the side of love.” Bautista added, “Because it is our responsibility to express love and be on the side of peace and to make sure that no families are being harassed and threatened with their lives.” Those statements captured the tone among many protesters who wanted to highlight family and community safety over federal enforcement priorities.
From a law-and-order perspective, the event also underscores the tough choices faced by security personnel when a vehicle moves toward a secured line at speed. Officers say they issued commands and resorted to live fire only when they judged a direct threat existed, and the public needs clear answers about how that judgment was made. The incident will be examined by investigators, but right now it is the fact of the threat and the response that drives the controversy.
Community reaction has been split: activists focus on civil rights and protecting families, while law enforcement supporters emphasize the need for secure facilities and the safety of officers. The political backdrop — federal plans to enforce immigration policy in the Bay Area — intensifies both positions and makes neutral ground scarce. As investigations proceed, the questions about intent, escalation, and accountability will remain central to how this episode is understood.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.
