Long Beach Officials Demand Probe Into ICE Agents After US Citizen Is Found Handcuffed and Bleeding

Long Beach officials are demanding an investigation into federal immigration agents after Ricardo Gonzalez, a US citizen, was found handcuffed and bleeding during a confrontation in the city. Videos of the incident show him pinned face down on the street as he repeatedly calls for help, but the circumstances leading up to the detention remain unclear.

Ricardo Gonzalez, a former city employee and father, was injured during the encounter on Saturday, 17 October. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson has filed a formal complaint with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), seeking answers about the force used against Gonzalez and the medical assistance he received.

Democratic Representative Robert Garcia, whose congressional district includes Long Beach, has also called for an investigation, describing the footage as 'incredibly disturbing'. Federal authorities had not publicly explained the circumstances surrounding the detention as of Tuesday, 20 October.

Distressing Footage Shows Man Pleading for Help

Videos shared online show masked federal agents restraining Gonzalez on a residential street in North Long Beach. He can be heard shouting for assistance and repeatedly saying that his arm was broken while officers held him face down near a roadside kerb.

In his complaint to the DHS Office of Inspector General, Richardson wrote that Gonzalez was 'subjected to repeated Taser use, forcibly restrained, and sustained significant injuries'. His daughter also alleged in an online fundraising appeal that her father had been struck by an ICE vehicle, shocked twice and pinned to the ground before being taken to hospital.

'There are videos about what happened with my dad who was struck by an unmarked vehicle of federal agents while riding his E-Bike on October 17, 2026,' Leslie Gonzalez wrote in a GoFundMe appeal seeking help with her father's medical expenses and recovery. 'He was tased twice, pinned to the ground, and taken to the hospital for serious injuries. He's receiving treatment now,' she added.

Mayor Demands Answers From Federal Authorities

Richardson identified Gonzalez as a Long Beach resident, father and former municipal employee. In his complaint, the mayor called for an independent investigation into the agents' conduct, asking officials to explain why Gonzalez was stopped, whether the use of force was justified, and why he apparently did not receive immediate medical attention.

'Ricardo is a dad,' he said in his statement. 'He just wants his kids to feel safe. He shouldn't have to worry about being injured, being hit by a car. Kids should not have to see their parent detained, whether you're a U.S. citizen or not.'

The mayor has urged DHS to preserve relevant evidence and ensure the agents involved are investigated. He also called for the officers to be removed from street duties while the incident is examined. Richardson's intervention reflects mounting concern among local officials about federal immigration enforcement in residential communities, particularly when the circumstances surrounding an encounter remain unclear.

'What happened to Ricardo is outrageous and unacceptable,' the mayor said. 'A federal badge is not a licence to brutalise people, disregard their constitutional rights, or deny medical assistance to someone in need. No one is above the law, including the agents entrusted with enforcing it.'