Pressure is mounting for the LA Board of Police Commissioners to investigate the death of Keith Porter, a man shot and killed by an off-duty ICE agent on New Year’s Eve.
Activists gathered at the Police Commission’s latest meeting on Tuesday, calling for justice for Porter. Last month, the Department of Homeland Security said it was investigating the murder internally. The LAPD is also reportedly carrying out a separate investigation.
Porter’s relatives were also present at the meeting on Tuesday.
The 43-year-old’s cousin Jsane Tyler amplified calls in particular to reveal the identity of the suspect charged. No additional information has been released about the off-duty ICE agent who killed Porter, including his name. The suspect has not been arrested, charged or prosecuted.
On New Year’s Eve, the father of two was killed after the off-duty ICE agent heard gunfire near Porter’s residence. Per the DHS, the suspect was met by Porter holding a long rifle. The DHS also alleges that the agent told Porter to put the weapon down, though he refused and reportedly fired three rounds at the agent.
Per advocates, Porter had fired the gun into the air as a way of celebrating the New Year. Porter’s family has continued calls for more information since his death. Last Saturday, they were present at a vigil remembering the 43-year-old, marking the second memorial in a week for Porter.
“He claims he heard gunshots were getting closer to his apartment, but rather than staying at a position of safety, he left his apartment and went downstairs to what would be a position of danger,” said the family’s attorney, Jamal Tooson, at a news conference, per ABC7. “But instead of staying in his apartment for a trained law enforcement officer from LAPD to respond, he made the premeditated and calculated decision to grab a firearm.”
The calls for an investigation into Porter’s death come amidst similar calls from Renee Nicole Good’s family. The family has reportedly hired attorney Antonio M. Romanucci, who previously represented the family of George Floyd. Legal action is also expected to be taken against the federal government.
The Department of Justice has already claimed that there is “no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation.” The FBI has also not publicly shared information, although they are conducting an investigation. State officials, meanwhile, maintain that they are collecting evidence, potentially for a case against ICE agent Jonathan Ross.
Good’s death has sparked nationwide protests as people demand justice for the 37-year-old. The lack of investigation into the fatal shooting has also prompted several DOJ attorneys to resign. Reported by Reuters, at least a dozen federal prosecutors have announced that they intend to leave the DOJ over the way the murder of Good is being handled. Per the sources that spoke to the outlet, the affected sectors include the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division in Washington and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minneapolis.
Six officials have already resigned over the absence of an investigation, particularly in the Civil Rights Division. The sector typically works closely alongside FBI agents to investigate any civil rights violations and any violations by law enforcement officers.
According to Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, the resignation signifies that the attorneys are not “not being allowed to their jobs because of politics.”
More federal agents are reportedly being deployed to Minneapolis. Approximately 2,000 agents were already in the area, according to CNN.
On Wednesday night, Gov. Tim Walz denounced their presence, saying that it has now become a “campaign of organized brutality.”
“They’re pulling over people indiscriminately, including U.S. citizens, and demanding to see their papers and at grocery stores, at bus stops, even at our schools,” said Walz per ABC News. “They’re breaking windows, dragging pregnant women down the street, just plain grabbing Minnesotans and shoving them into unmarked vans.”
Later on Wednesday, the city reported in a social media post that they received reports of a shooting involving federal law enforcement in North Minneapolis.
Although details are still developing, per NBC News, a federal officer shot a Venezuelan man after a targeted traffic stop conducted at 6:50 pm. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the man, who the department claims is in the U.S. illegally, left the vehicle he had crashed into a parked car and ran away.
When the officer pursued him, the statement said that the man attacked the officer. Two other individuals reportedly came out of an apartment and attacked the officer with a snow shovel and broomstick. Per the department, the man also joined in on attacking the officer. The officer promptly fired at the men, shooting the man they had been chasing in the leg.
Following the news of the shooting, a crowd gathered in North Minneapolis where protesters clashed with officers. Per NBC affiliate KARE, officers used “flash bang devices and chemical irritants” on the protestors.
