Off-duty ICE agent found sleeping on Fresno lawn, shot after attacking man, authorities say

An off-duty ICE agent was shot to death in Fresno after he was found sleeping on a lawn and then allegedly assaulted a 72-year-old man, authorities said.

The Fresno Police Department said it received multiple reports at 3:19 a.m. Friday of a gunshot fired near East Dudley Avenue and North Broadway Street.

When officers arrived, they found David Gonzalez, 32, handcuffed with a gunshot wound to the stomach, according to a Fresno police statement.

Fresno police declined an interview request from The Times.

According to their statement, an unnamed woman arrived home and found Gonzalez — a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent — sleeping on her lawn. The woman contacted her 72-year-old father, who came out of the house to kick Gonzalez out.

Gonzalez woke up and appeared “drunk and agitated,” according to the release. He allegedly attacked the man, causing him several visible injuries.

When the woman tried to intervene, Gonzalez allegedly attacked her as well, authorities said. Her father, fearing for his and his daughter’s safety, pulled out a gun and fired one shot at Gonzalez, according to the release.

The woman’s boyfriend, an off-duty police officer, then handcuffed Gonzalez, according to the release.

Gonzalez is originally from Texas, authorities said, and it was not immediately clear why he was in Fresno. At the time of the incident, he was off duty and alone.

Police did not provide further information on the identity of the 72-year-old man. He was described as a “victim” who was in legal possession of the firearm he used and is not facing criminal charges.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson declined to comment Friday evening and directed questions to Fresno police.

Fresno officials and residents had raised concerns this week about a reported increase in ICE arrests in the area. About 70 people were arrested in Fresno and Madera this week, local news site Fresnoland reported.

In a Facebook post Friday after the shooting, Fresno City Council member Miguel Arias said “communities deserve safety, dignity and respect, not intimidation, fear and reckless behavior from federal ICE agents.”

“As many of us have warned, (President) Trump’s ICE terror tactics were bound to result in injuries. The danger these aggressive enforcement tactics pose to our communities should come as no surprise,” he said. “There are serious questions regarding the selection, qualifications, psychological suitability and accountability of out-of-state ICE agents deployed to our neighborhoods. »

On Thursday, Arias said at a city council meeting that the timing of the arrests was “not a coincidence” because it is harvest season in Fresno, a major agricultural hub.

He then called ICE’s activity “basic voter suppression and intimidation of the Latino voting base.”

“This is intended to convince those of us in our community to stay home and not participate and not engage in civic responsibility and constitutional right,” Arias said.

Gonzalez, who is receiving treatment, is in custody on suspicion of criminal assault, according to the police statement. It was not immediately clear from Fresno law enforcement databases whether he had an attorney.