Porter's family urges grand jury review of off-duty ICE shooting
The relatives of Keith Porter Jr., killed by an off-duty ICE agent on New Year’s Eve, have asked Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman to refer the case to a grand jury.
Keith Porter Jr., 43, died after an off-duty ICE agent shot him in the courtyard of his Northridge apartment complex on New Year’s Eve, when Porter was reportedly firing a gun into the air. The family met with Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman and asked that the matter be presented to a grand jury for a community-based decision on possible charges against the agent, identified as Brian Palacios. The DA’s office has not set a timeline for a charging decision and remains in the early stages of its review.
Evidence includes a recovered rifle and forensic findings of bullet impacts behind Palacios’s position, which prosecutors say support the claim that Porter fired toward him. Attorneys for the family also allege that a neighbor’s Ring camera captured audio indicating Palacios did not identify himself as law enforcement. The district attorney’s office has invited further witnesses to come forward as it continues its meticulous examination of the facts.
Why it matters
The case raises questions about accountability when federal agents use deadly force off duty.
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