The family and friends of Keith Porter Jr., a 43-year-old father of two, are demanding justice after he was fatally shot by an off-duty US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on New Year’s Eve outside his apartment complex in Los Angeles. The incident, which remains shrouded in uncertainty, has sparked outrage and calls for accountability within the community.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officers responded to 911 calls about gunshots in the Northridge neighbourhood and found Porter on the ground, where he was later pronounced dead. The ICE officer, identified as Brian Palacio, claims he “exchanged gunfire” with Porter, though the family’s lawyer, Jamal Touson, argues there is a “lack of corroborating witnesses and evidence” to support this assertion.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has portrayed the incident as Porter being an “active shooter,” stating that the off-duty ICE officer was “forced to defensively use his weapon.” However, Porter’s family and local activists argue that he was simply celebrating the new year and was not threatening anyone.
The lack of footage and the DHS’s history of making “false and distorted claims” about individuals they have accused of crimes have fueled concerns about the government’s transparency and trustworthiness in this case. Activists, local politicians, and even some celebrities have rallied around Porter’s killing, drawing parallels to the recent fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.
Wanda Turner, a longtime friend of Porter’s family, expressed the deep anguish they are experiencing, stating, “The ache will never go away.” She, along with other community members, are demanding that the ICE officer be charged and held accountable for Porter’s death, even if he believed Porter was doing something wrong.
The case has also reignited broader concerns about ICE’s aggressive tactics and the lack of accountability for their actions. Eunise Hernandez, an LA City Council member, called for more transparency, saying, “We need to know who these people are in our neighbourhoods taking people’s lives.”
As the investigation continues, Porter’s family and the community are steadfast in their pursuit of justice, determined to ensure that his life is honoured and that meaningful change emerges from this tragic incident.
