Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) denied Tuesday that it struck a man riding a bicycle in Long Beach, California, despite video footage and eyewitness accounts suggesting otherwise. The incident, which occurred on Saturday, involved ICE agents confronting Ricardo Gonzalez, an American citizen and city employee, according to his daughter, Leslie Gonzalez.
Video obtained from the scene shows an ICE SUV driving the wrong way down a one-way street, swerving toward Mr. Gonzalez on his bike. An officer is seen quickly exiting the vehicle and aiming a weapon at Mr. Gonzalez. The cyclist can be heard accusing the agents of hitting him with the car, repeatedly asserting his U.S. citizenship while expressing frustration with expletives. After the encounter, Mr. Gonzalez was reportedly tased and pinned to the ground, according to his daughter’s social media posts.
Mr. Gonzalez was subsequently taken to a hospital for treatment. The Long Beach Police Department, which was called to provide backup, confirmed it was not involved in immigration enforcement or in making any arrests related to the event. Officers were summoned after ICE reported vandalism to government vehicles and a request for medical assistance.
ICE stated it was carrying out a targeted operation to apprehend a “criminal illegal alien” but did not clarify whether Mr. Gonzalez was the suspect. The agency rejected claims that its agents struck the bicyclist, instead stating that the individual was arrested after damaging a government vehicle. The ICE spokesperson described the man as a “rioter” and accused “anti-ICE agitators” of obstructing operations and threatening officers despite lawful orders.
Community members captured multiple videos of the disturbance. Sherman Austin, a local IT professional who has organized an ICE tip network and was present at the scene, documented the incident and subsequent detainment of others nearby. In one recording, a woman being handcuffed by ICE was identified by a bystander as a U.S. citizen, though her identity and status remained unclear.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, who submitted a formal complaint to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, has called for an independent investigation into ICE’s conduct during the operation. He also urged that agents involved be suspended from duty pending the inquiry, emphasizing the community’s outrage over the incident.
The case adds to a growing number of contentious encounters involving ICE, where video evidence has often challenged official accounts. Similar disputes arose earlier this year after several fatal shootings involving ICE or other federal authorities, in which initial government statements were contradicted by subsequent footage. The investigation into the Long Beach incident is ongoing, and the extent of Mr. Gonzalez’s injuries remains unclear.