
ICE agents broke US citizenâÂÂs arm as they detained him in California, officials say
Ricardo Gonzalez was injured and taken to hospital after confrontation in Long Beach, according to officials
Federal immigration agents broke the arm of a US citizen in what a Democratic congressman said was a âÂÂbrutal attackâ during a confrontation with protesters in California.
Video of SaturdayâÂÂs encounter in Long Beach shows Ricardo Gonzalez, identified as a former city employee, handcuffed and face down in a gutter, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers kneeling on his back.
Rex Richardson, Long BeachâÂÂs mayor, told CNN on Sunday that Gonzalez had called emergency responders for help at one point. In an online fundraiser for his medical expenses, GonzalezâÂÂs daughter, Leslie, said he was knocked off his e-bike by an unmarked ICE vehicle.
âÂÂHe was tased twice, pinned to the ground, and taken to the hospital for serious injuries,â LeslieâÂÂs fundraiser said. âÂÂWhat ICE did was not right.âÂÂ
Richardson said: âÂÂWhen the police arrived, we know that he was detained. He was on a curb. He was injured.âÂÂ
The episode centering on Gonzalez is the latest in a number of recent violent and sometimes deadly encounters involving federal officers conducting enforcement actions as part of Donald trumpâÂÂs immigration crackdown.
The homeland security department, which oversees ICE, has not commented publicly on why Gonzalez was detained. But it frequently portrays its agentsâ actions as self-defense or protecting public safety.
The Guardian has contacted ICE for comment.
Congressman Robert Garcia, a Democrat who represents Long Beach, posted on X that he was disturbed by the encounter and called for the abolition of ICE.
âÂÂICE agents brutally attacked and broke the arm of a North Long Beach resident and US citizen,â he wrote.
âÂÂThe videos are horrific and should concern not just our community but the country. IâÂÂm proud of the neighbors who documented and stood up for the family being terrorized by ICE.
âÂÂDonald Trump and his inhumane and illegal deportation machine must be stopped. Long Beach stands with our community and our immigrant families.âÂÂ
In a statement, the Long Beach police department (LBPD) said ICE personnel also called for emergency assistance âÂÂdue to vehicle vandalism taking place and a subject in need of medical aidâÂÂ. The LBPD statement also said officers arrived to find âÂÂa large group disturbanceâ taking place involving the federal agents.
âÂÂOne officer located a handcuffed male adult, being detained by ICE, who was bleeding,â the statement said. âÂÂOfficers transported the handcuffed injured man to a nearby fire station. There, LBPD personnel removed the handcuffs and LBFD personnel transported the man to the hospital for medical attention.âÂÂ
The LBPD said it was not involved in any immigration enforcement action and made no arrests. It said ICE agents who followed officers into a secure parking lot âÂÂwere subsequently directed to leave the stationâÂÂ.
âÂÂThey were later advised that if they wanted to file a vandalism report, they could contact the City of Long Beach Communications Center,â the LBPD statement added.
The Gonzalez case in Long Beach has parallels with an incident in Texas on 10 October in which an ICE agent driving an unmarked SUV ran over a man and broke his leg in three places.
Harris county, Texas, district attorney Sean Teare said he was considering bringing felony assault charges against the immigration officer after video appeared to show the vehicle swerving into the man in a parking lot in the Houston area.
At a news conference on Friday, Houston-based advocacy group FIEL accused ICE of crashing into that man while searching for another who had died years earlier. A FIEL official told the Associated Press it had turned over to Teare a death certificate for the man the group says ICE was apparently looking for.
ICE on Friday did not respond to APâÂÂs questions about the matter.
