Keith Porter: Court documents appear to identify off-duty ICE agent in fatal Northridge shooting
Newly filed court documents appear to identify the off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent involved in the fatal New Year's Eve shooting of a man in Northridge.
According to the filings, the officer is believed to be Brian Palacios.
The documents were submitted by the ex-husband of Palacios' current partner as part of an ongoing custody dispute.
Palacios and his partner live in the same apartment complex where 43-year-old Keith Porter was shot and killed.
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The filings also state that Palacios was known to have firearms inside the home.
An attorney representing Palacios has not yet responded to a request for comment. The Department of Homeland Security has also not confirmed whether Palacios was involved in the shooting.
Porter was fatally shot the night of Dec. 31 in the 17700 block of Roscoe Boulevard.
According to a statement from DHS, the ICE agent said he heard gunshots outside of his apartment.
"The suspected gunfire grew progressively louder, indicating to the officer that whoever was firing a gun was approaching his apartment," read a statement released by Tricia McLaughlin, the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at DHS. "The officer took his ICE authorized firearm and left his apartment to investigate. He moved to the ground level and went outside, where he believed the suspected gunfire was coming from."
DHS said the agent encountered Porter holding what appeared to be a long rifle and ordered him to put it down.
"The ICE officer identified himself as law enforcement," read the DHS statement. "In response, the individual pointed his weapon at the ICE officer. The officer ordered the subject to put the weapon down. When the subject refused to comply, the officer fired defensively with his service weapon at the subject to disarm him. The subject fired at least three rounds at the officer."
Porter's family, however, disputes that account, saying his gunfire was part of a New Year's celebration. They are asking for more information as they mourn his death.
