Off-duty ICE officer allegedly shoots and kills man firing gun outside apartment complex: DHS
An off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer allegedly shot and killed an armed man outside of the federal agent's Los Angeles apartment complex, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The shooting occurred late New Year's Eve in the Northridge neighborhood, DHS said. ICE is under the supervision of DHS.
The off-duty ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer was in his apartment "when he heard what he suspected were multiple gunshots" at approximately 10:45 p.m. local time Wednesday, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
As the suspected gunfire grew louder, the officer went outside with his ICE-authorized firearm and encountered a man "armed with what appeared to be a long rifle" upon rounding the corner of a building in the apartment complex, according to McLaughlin.
After the ICE officer identified himself as law enforcement, the individual allegedly pointed his firearm at the officer and did not put it down when ordered, McLaughlin noted.
"When the subject refused to comply, the officer fired defensively with his service weapon at the subject to disarm him," McLaughlin said. "The subject fired at least three rounds at the officer."
The ICE officer then went back to his apartment to retrieve his ICE-issued body armor "to better protect himself against rifle rounds" and reported the shooting to the Los Angeles Police Department, according to McLaughlin.
When LAPD officers arrived, they found the shot individual, who was pronounced dead at the scene, McLaughlin noted. The ICE officer was uninjured, she said.
Sources said it appears that the man had no connection to the ICE officer before the shooting.
ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility is coordinating with the LAPD in the ongoing investigation, McLaughlin said.
The LAPD confirmed it responded to a call of shots fired involving a federal agent, but did not release any additional details.
Authorities have not released the names of the ICE officer or deceased man.
