The immigration officer who shot and killed 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston was not in danger of being run over, two passengers in his van told a federal court this week.

The Department of Homeland Security said shortly after the July 7 shooting that Salgado Araujo had "weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer," and that the officer had fired in self-defense.

But two men who were riding with Salgado Araujo wrote in statements submitted in court that the officers with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement were to the sides of their van, never in front or behind it; one of them described the government's account as "a lie." Homebuilder died in front of his construction crew Salgado Araujo, who was living without legal status in the U.S. for 35 years and running a homebuilding business, died that morning in front of his construction crew, including his own brother.