Off-duty ICE agent shot in California after assaulting homeowner, police say

An off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer was shot in the torso by a 72-year-old homeowner in Fresno, California, after turning violent on the family's front lawn, police said.

The officer, identified by the Fresno Police Department as David Gonzalez, was hospitalised under guard on Friday and faces multiple criminal charges, including battery likely to cause great bodily injury, felony vandalism and battery.

Neither the homeowner nor his daughter face charges.

What happened on the lawn

Investigators said the confrontation began around 3:00 am on Friday when the homeowner's daughter discovered Gonzalez asleep on their front lawn.

She went inside to wake her father, and both returned outside to tell the man to leave their property. When Gonzalez woke up, police said he appeared drunk, combative and agitated.

Instead of leaving, Gonzalez lunged at the 72-year-old father and forced him to the ground, police said. When the daughter tried to pull Gonzalez away, the agent attacked her as well, knocking her to the ground.

Fearing that he and his daughter were in severe physical danger, the father drew a gun and fired a single shot, striking Gonzalez in the midsection.

Moments later, the daughter’s boyfriend—an off-duty police officer—arrived at the property and handcuffed Gonzalez until responding units took over.

Charges and background

Gonzalez was transported to a local hospital for medical care. Fresno police confirmed he was off-duty and alone at the time, though investigators have not determined why he was in that neighbourhood.

Both the father and daughter were treated for injuries sustained during the assault.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, declined to answer questions about Gonzalez's employment record, including his role or length of service, referring all inquiries to local police in Fresno.

Scrutiny over ICE vetting

The shooting comes amid growing scrutiny of federal immigration officers and the agency's recruitment standards during the Trump administration's expanded deportation drive.

Lawmakers and oversight bodies have previously raised alarms over background checks. In August 2025, an ICE supervisor filed a formal whistleblower complaint with the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general, alleging that the agency had bypassed mandatory vetting procedures and broke federal rules to meet aggressive hiring quotas.

That complaint followed a string of criminal allegations involving agency personnel across the country. In July, an ICE recruit with an alleged background of violence and mental health issues fatally shot a Colombian immigrant in Biddeford, Maine. Earlier that year, an officer in Cincinnati was charged with lying about domestic abuse after local police were called to his residence more than 20 times.

A report published in August by the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, an advocacy organisation, logged more than 150 instances of alleged crimes and abuse involving federal immigration personnel nationwide.