ICE agents broke US citizen's arm during detention in California, officials say
In Long Beach, California, federal immigration agents broke the arm of a US citizen, Ricardo Gonzalez, while detaining him, according to officials. It is one of several recent violent encounters during President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
Federal immigration agents broke the arm of a US citizen while detaining him in Long Beach, California, on Saturday, local officials say. A Democratic congressman called it a "brutal attack". The incident came during a confrontation with protesters and is among the latest cases of force used by federal officers carrying out President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
Video shows Ricardo Gonzalez, described as a former city employee, handcuffed and face down in a gutter while officers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) kneel on his back.
What those involved say
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson told CNN that Gonzalez had at one point called emergency responders himself. His daughter, Leslie, wrote in an online fundraiser for his medical costs that he was knocked off his e-bike by an unmarked ICE vehicle, tased twice, pinned to the ground and taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Robert Garcia, a Democratic congressman who represents Long Beach, wrote on X that ICE agents had brutally attacked and broken the arm of a North Long Beach resident and US citizen. He called for ICE to be abolished.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has not publicly explained why Gonzalez was detained. It often describes its agents' actions as self-defence or protection of public safety. The Guardian has asked ICE for comment.
Police account
The Long Beach police department said ICE personnel had also requested emergency help over vehicle vandalism and a person needing medical aid. Officers arrived to find a large disturbance involving the federal agents. One officer found a handcuffed, bleeding man held by ICE and took him to a nearby fire station, where the handcuffs were removed and fire department staff took him to hospital. Police stressed they were not involved in any immigration enforcement action and made no arrests.
Similar case in Texas
The case has parallels with a 10 October incident in Texas, where an ICE agent driving an unmarked SUV ran over a man and broke his leg in three places. Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare is considering felony assault charges. Advocacy group FIEL says ICE was apparently looking for a man who died years earlier.
