{"id":521238,"date":"2026-01-16T21:18:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T21:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/521238\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T21:18:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T21:18:10","slug":"family-of-man-killed-by-off-duty-ice-agent-in-la-demands-charges-the-ache-will-never-go-away-ice-us-immigration-and-customs-enforcement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/521238\/","title":{"rendered":"Family of man killed by off-duty ICE agent in LA demands charges: \u2018The ache will never go away\u2019 | ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Family and friends of a Los Angeles<\/a> man who was killed by an off-duty US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)<\/a> officer over the holidays are urging local officials to arrest and prosecute the federal agent.<\/p>\n

Keith Porter Jr, a 43-year-old father of two, was fatally shot<\/a> by an ICE officer on New Year\u2019s Eve outside his apartment complex, according<\/a> to LA and federal officials. An LA police department (LAPD) spokesperson said after the incident that Porter had fired gunshots<\/a> into the air. A US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson said the off-duty immigration officer was \u201cforced to defensively use his weapon\u201d while responding to an \u201cactive shooter\u201d.<\/p>\n

Much about the incident remains unclear. There\u2019s no footage of the shooting. Porter\u2019s family and local activists have argued<\/a> that, contrary to the DHS\u2019s portrayal of the events, Porter was not threatening anyone and was celebrating the new year. Jamal Tooson, an LA attorney representing Porter\u2019s family, said<\/a> Porter\u2019s actions possibly merited arrest or citation by the LAPD, but the ICE agent, who was not charged with local law enforcement duties, instead subjected him to \u201ca death sentence\u201d.<\/p>\n

Activists, local politicians and some celebrities<\/a> have rallied around Porter\u2019s killing, with many of them voicing increasing concerns<\/a> about ICE\u2019s aggressive raids<\/a> and violent tactics<\/a> in cities<\/a> across the country. And the DHS\u2019s track record of making false<\/a> and distorted<\/a> claims about people<\/a> they have accused<\/a> of crimes<\/a> and violence<\/a> has fueled concerns that the government cannot be trusted to provide a truthful account of Porter\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

Those fears have only intensified <\/strong>in the wake of an ICE officer<\/a>\u2019s fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good<\/a> in Minneapolis last week. Good\u2019s killing sparked nationwide protests<\/a>, with the DHS calling her a \u201cdomestic terrorist\u201d without evidence and Donald Trump insisting<\/a> the officer, Jonathan Ross<\/a>, fired in self-defense as Good \u201cran him over\u201d with her car. Footage, however, showed her car was turning away from the officer<\/a> when he shot her, and that he did not lose his footing or appear to be injured during the encounter.<\/p>\n

Organizers against police brutality, including Black Lives Matter Los Angeles<\/a>, mobilized community members to testify at an LA police commission meeting on Tuesday, demanding the LAPD disclose the name of the ICE officer who shot Porter and pursue criminal charges.<\/p>\n

A woman holds pictures of Renee Nicole Good and Keith Porter during a protest in Los Angeles on 10 January. Photograph: \u00c9tienne Laurent\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m heartbroken and I know that ache will never go away,\u201d Wanda Turner, a longtime friend of Porter\u2019s family, who considered herself to be a second mother to him, said in an interview. \u201cThe officer needs to surrender and do what\u2019s right. I want him charged. Even if he thought Keith was doing something wrong, it wasn\u2019t his place to just shoot and kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The shooting of Porter, who leaves behind daughters aged 10 and 20, was not caught on camera, and local and federal authorities have disclosed very few details about the ongoing investigation or what they believe happened between the two men.<\/p>\n

The LAPD said in a statement that its officers responded to 911 calls to the complex in LA\u2019s Northridge neighborhood at about 10.40pm and found Porter \u201con the ground\u201d, and he was soon after declared dead. The LAPD said the ICE officer had \u201cconfronted\u201d Porter, but declined to answer further questions about the incident.<\/p>\n

ICE said in a statement that its officer lived at the complex and had \u201cexchanged gunfire\u201d with Porter. \u201cFortunately, our brave officer was not injured while protecting his community,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n

Tooson, the family lawyer, has said<\/a> Porter may have fired \u201ccelebratory\u201d gunshots to ring in the new year, telling the LA Times<\/a> he believed several people were firing guns into the air. He also said a witness said they didn\u2019t hear the ICE agent identify himself as an officer.<\/p>\n

Tooson told reporters he did not believe there was \u201cany exchange of gunfire\u201d between Porter and the agent and suggested<\/a> there was a \u201clack of corroborating witnesses and evidence, such as shell casings indicating Porter fired toward the agent\u201d.<\/p>\n

A person holds a sign for Keith Porter in Seattle on 11 January. Photograph: Lindsey Wasson\/AP<\/p>\n

The outrage around Porter\u2019s killing has swelled in recent days, with protesters holding signs with his and Good\u2019s faces, saying \u201cMurdered by ICE\u201d, and celebrities at the Golden Globe awards<\/a> on Sunday wearing \u201cICE Out\u201d and \u201cBe Good\u201d pins to honor them<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In LA, longtime community activists and Porter\u2019s family have organized several vigils<\/a> and protests<\/a>. At the LA police commission\u2019s weekly meeting on Tuesday, speakers one by one condemned Porter\u2019s killing and called on LA leaders to take swift action.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen are we going to press charges on this murderer? When is he going to be named? When is he going to be arrested?\u201d said<\/a> Jsan\u00e9 Tyler, Porter\u2019s cousin. She questioned whether the ICE officer had been given a sobriety test or forced to turn over his service weapon and whether he took any steps to render aid. In Good\u2019s shooting, witness videos showed agents blocking<\/a> bystanders who attempted to provide medical aid.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is systemic. When is there going to be value placed on our lives?\u201d continued Tyler, who is part of Black Lives Matter LA. \u201cAs an organizer, I never thought I would be standing here for one of my family members \u2026 I urge you guys, regardless of federal intervention, to really help us, help his family, help our community get justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Melina Abdullah, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter LA who has been supporting Porter\u2019s family, said that in addition to seeking the ICE agent\u2019s arrest and prosecution, \u201cWe\u2019re demanding an end to the character assassination of Keith. He\u2019s the victim, not the suspect \u2026 It\u2019s disgusting the way DHS is talking about him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018A wonderful soul\u2019<\/p>\n

US law enforcement agencies have long faced backlash<\/a> for demonizing<\/a> and spreading misinformation about people killed by officers. LA activists argued the DHS was particularly unreliable, pointing to its account of Good\u2019s killing, which Minneapolis\u2019s mayor called<\/a> \u201cbullshit\u201d and the state\u2019s governor said<\/a> was \u201cpropaganda\u201d. The DHS has also come under scrutiny<\/a> for claiming ICE officers have been widely subjected to \u201cassaults\u201d. Court records reviewed by the LA Times last year revealed many cases of alleged attacks involved no injury to the officer<\/a>, and prosecutions have repeatedly ended in dismissals<\/a> and acquittals<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot trust what is being shared with us by entities representing ICE agents, because they have not been truthful,\u201d said Eunisses Hernandez, an LA city council member, who has been supporting Porter\u2019s family<\/a>. \u201cWhen protests happened last year \u2026 the federal government said Los Angeles was burning<\/a> to the ground. That was not happening.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hernandez called for more transparency: \u201cWe need to know who these people are in our neighborhoods taking people\u2019s lives. This federal agent could still be participating in raids happening in my district.\u201d<\/p>\n

The DHS did not respond to detailed questions about the case and advocates\u2019 criticisms.<\/p>\n

Greg Risling, a spokesperson for the LA district attorney, said in an email that his office responded to the scene and was investigating the case, and prosecutors would \u201creview all evidence disclosed by the investigation to determine whether or not the law enforcement officer acted lawfully\u201d.<\/p>\n

Hernandez brought<\/a> Porter\u2019s mother, Franceola Armstrong, to a city council meeting last week, where Armstrong recalled how her son had called her every morning to say \u201cI love you\u201d. \u201cKeith Porter was a wonderful soul. His heart was big,\u201d the mother said.<\/p>\n

A vigil for Keith Porter in Los Angeles. Photograph: Courtesy of Black Lives Matter LA<\/p>\n

Turner, the longtime friend of Porter\u2019s family, said it was painful to see officials \u201csully his reputation\u201d and that he should be remembered for his joyful attitude: \u201cHe loved to make you smile.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adrian Metoyer III, a Los Angeles film-maker, said he and Porter, nicknamed \u201cPooter\u201d, had been best friends since they met as teenagers in 1996, bonding over sports: \u201cPooter was hilarious, a joker, the life of the party.\u201d Metoyer, now 45, served as a foster parent to teenage boys when he was in his 20s and recalled Porter\u2019s support: \u201cHe was my second in command, my go-to guy to assist me in caretaking. He was always there to help people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Porter more recently held multiple jobs, at one point serving as an aide to students with special needs while employed at Home Depot, Metoyer said.<\/p>\n

And he was a proud \u201cgirl dad\u201d, Metoyer added; he shared footage of an interview<\/a> he filmed with Porter in 2022 reflecting on his life. \u201cI got two beautiful young girls and I\u2019m going to raise them the way I\u2019m supposed to,\u201d Porter says in the footage while wearing a Dodgers shirt. \u201cI pray. I talk to God. I talk to family. Because at the end of the day, that\u2019s all I really got. But I feel rich \u2026 It\u2019s gonna be hard to break me, because I have a strong spirit and I grew up with a whole lot of love.\u201d<\/p>\n