ICE agents break US citizen's arm during Long Beach detention, sparking outrage

Videos of Ricardo Gonzalez being pinned to the ground by ICE agents in Long Beach have gone viral. The mayor filed a complaint with the DHS Inspector General.

Long Beach man hospitalised after ICE arrest, family claims broken arm and Taser use

Videos showing a man screaming in pain while being handcuffed face down in a gutter by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Long Beach, California, have triggered widespread condemnation, latimes.com reports. The incident took place on Saturday in a residential neighbourhood in North Long Beach.

"Help me! Help me! My arm is f— broken, it f— hurts!" the man shouts in the footage as agents pin him to the ground.

The man has been identified as Ricardo Gonzalez, a former longtime city employee and father. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson confirmed he had spoken directly with Gonzalez, who told him he is a U.S. citizen.

"Ricardo is a dad," Richardson said. "He just wants his kids to feel safe. He shouldn't have to worry about being injured, being hit by a car. Kids should not have to see their parent detained, whether you're a U.S. citizen or not."

How the incident unfolded

According to the mayor, Gonzalez had called 911 on Saturday requesting de-escalation support after spotting a group of unmarked vehicles and a crowd forming in his neighbourhood. By the time police arrived near Locust Avenue and Ellis Street, Gonzalez was already on the ground screaming for medical help after being struck by a vehicle.

His daughter, Leslie Gonzalez, wrote that her father was shocked with a Taser twice and pinned to the ground before being taken to hospital with serious injuries. The family has launched a GoFundMe to help cover medical expenses.

"My Dad is one of the hardest working men out there," Leslie Gonzalez wrote. "What ICE did was not right."

She told the Times on Monday that the past few days had been a "difficult time" for the family and declined further comment until her father had recovered and was ready to speak.

Eyewitness account

Sherman Austin, a Long Beach resident who volunteers with a local rapid response network that tracks ICE activity, had arrived in the area after receiving alerts about agents operating nearby. He said he observed unmarked vehicles when one suddenly sped away, running through stop signs in the residential area.

He followed it and found Gonzalez on the ground beside another unmarked car, his e-bike toppled next to him.

"They just kept their knee in his back and put handcuffs on him while his arm was broken," Austin said. "You could see the bone in his arm separating and they just sat there on him and didn't explain anything to anyone."

Neighbours gathered and began arguing with ICE agents, who were also detaining a woman at the scene. Bystanders pleaded with Long Beach Police officers — who had by then arrived — to intervene.

"They had just broken a man's arm and they were trying to ride off with this other woman," Austin said. "Everyone was understandably extremely angry and frustrated."

Police role and hospital transport

The Long Beach Police Department stated it had received a request for assistance from DHS and ICE on Saturday "due to vehicle vandalism taking place and a subject in need of medical aid." Officers transported Gonzalez to a nearby fire station, where handcuffs were removed so that paramedics from the Long Beach Fire Department could take him to hospital for treatment.

Officers remained at the scene to de-escalate the situation and direct onlookers away from the area. Police also informed ICE agents that any vandalism report would need to be filed through the city's Communications Center.

Mayor files complaint with DHS Inspector General

On Monday, Richardson filed a formal complaint with the DHS Office of Inspector General, requesting an independent investigation into the use-of-force incident and calling for all agents involved to be removed from field enforcement pending the outcome.

"We need to understand why a use of force was necessary," Richardson said. "A car hitting an individual, whether that was warranted. What are the circumstances surrounding the injury? Why didn't the agents provide medical assistance?"

In his written complaint, Richardson demanded that DHS explain the purpose and scope of the broader enforcement operation in Long Beach. "A federal badge is not a license to brutalize people, disregard their constitutional rights, or deny medical assistance to someone in need," he wrote. "No one is above the law, including the agents entrusted with enforcing it."

DHS did not respond to the Times' request for comment on Monday.

Political fallout

U.S. Representative Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) said in a statement on X on Sunday that the videos were "horrifying and should concern the country." Garcia wrote that ICE agents had "brutally attacked and broke the arm of a North Long Beach resident and U.S. citizen," and added that he was "proud of the neighbours who documented and stood up for the family being terrorised by ICE."

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli responded by re-sharing Garcia's post and accusing the congressman of encouraging obstruction of ICE operations.

"These incidents would be less common if the targets complied with lawful commands," Essayli wrote. "You're intentionally fanning the flames and increasing danger for the community and officers."

A Department of Justice spokesperson offered no further detail on any potential criminal proceedings.

The detention occurred against a backdrop of intensified immigration enforcement across Southern California. Some immigration advocates have said the increased operations are aimed at discouraging voter participation ahead of the midterm elections.

Source: Google News MT