US citizen injured during California ICE incident, officials say

Long Beach Seeks Investigation After ICE Incident Leaves Man Injured

Earthguardiansonline.com – Long Beach officials are demanding an independent review after a former city employee was injured during an encounter involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Saturday. The incident drew emergency calls, brought local police to the scene and prompted Mayor Rex Richardson to ask that the federal personnel involved be removed from enforcement work while an investigation is conducted.

Ricardo Gonzalez, who told city officials that he is a US citizen, was found handcuffed and bleeding when Long Beach police arrived, authorities said. He was later taken for medical treatment after a confrontation that unfolded near unmarked federal vehicles and attracted a growing crowd.

The episode has intensified concern in Long Beach as federal immigration enforcement actions continue to generate disputes over public safety, accountability and the treatment of people caught up in operations.

Video and witnesses describe a rapidly escalating scene

Surveillance footage shows an unmarked SUV traveling against traffic on a one-way street as a man on an e-bike turns into the intersection. The recording does not clearly establish whether the SUV made contact with the bicycle, but it shows the vehicle braking abruptly before several agents get out.

Two witnesses said they saw the SUV moving the wrong way along the street. A fundraising page created by Gonzalez’s daughter, Leslie Gonzalez, states that he was injured while riding his e-bike. Video from the incident shows the bicycle near Gonzalez while a federal agent holds him on the roadway.

Sherman Austin, a witness who recorded portions of the aftermath, said he saw the unmarked vehicle strike Gonzalez. Austin said agents then used a Taser, broke Gonzalez’s arm and pinned him down. His videos show Gonzalez restrained on the ground by an agent wearing a vest marked “Police ICE.”

“Help me, my arm is broken” and “call a paramedic.”

Those pleas can be heard repeatedly in one recording as Gonzalez is held down. Austin said he started filming after additional agents arrived and Gonzalez continued crying out in pain while asking for help.

Police respond after calls for help

Gonzalez and other members of the community contacted 911 because of concern about unmarked vehicles in the area, Richardson said. The mayor said Gonzalez himself sought assistance when he saw the situation worsening.

“When the police arrived, we know that he was detained. He was on a curb. He was injured.”

ICE personnel had requested assistance from the Long Beach Police Department over alleged vehicle vandalism and a person needing medical aid. Officers arriving at the location encountered Gonzalez in ICE custody and found a larger disturbance involving federal agents and members of the public, police said.

Long Beach officers brought Gonzalez to a nearby fire station, where the handcuffs were removed. Fire department personnel then transported him to a hospital. Richardson did not discuss Gonzalez’s current medical condition, pointing to privacy concerns, though Leslie Gonzalez said her father is receiving treatment.

Police remained in the area to reduce tensions. After officers departed, some ICE agents went to the fire station parking lot. They were instructed to leave and told they could contact the department if they wished to file a vandalism complaint.

City support and calls for accountability

Richardson said he was outraged by what occurred and spoke with Gonzalez and his family after the encounter. In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, the mayor requested an outside investigation and called for the agents involved to be temporarily removed from enforcement duties.

Gonzalez worked for the city of Long Beach for roughly seven years. His most recent position was gas field service representative for Long Beach Utilities. City officials said he had been lawfully hired and described the accounts of the incident as deeply troubling. The city is taking steps to support his family.

Leslie Gonzalez established a verified GoFundMe campaign to help cover medical expenses. She described her father as a dedicated provider whose work has supported the family and helped create opportunities for his children.

“My Dad is one of the hardest working men out there,” she wrote. “Because of him I have a roof over my head and I have all the opportunities around me. Our family is everything because of him.”

Gonzalez told Richardson that he is a US citizen. His citizenship status remains subject to further verification.

A wider debate over enforcement encounters

The Long Beach case comes during a broad federal immigration enforcement campaign under the Trump administration. Other recent ICE-related incidents have also resulted in injuries, including cases involving US citizens.

Earlier in October, a man near Houston was hospitalized after an ICE vehicle struck him, leaving both of his legs broken. Days earlier, federal immigration agents in New York City shot and injured a driver during another confrontation.

For Long Beach residents, the immediate focus remains on Gonzalez’s recovery and a clear accounting of the events that led to his injuries. The requested independent investigation could examine the movements of the unmarked vehicle, the actions taken by agents after the encounter, emergency-response decisions and the circumstances surrounding Gonzalez’s detention.

The incident also highlights why interactions involving unmarked vehicles, federal agents and bystanders can quickly become confusing. Local police were called both by community members seeking help and by ICE personnel seeking assistance, placing city officers in the position of managing a fast-moving confrontation while medical needs and public tensions escalated.

City leaders have indicated that they want answers not only for Gonzalez and his family, but also for a community seeking reassurance that serious allegations involving law enforcement will receive meaningful scrutiny.