AP report: ICE officer in Maine shooting has history of violent behavior, family and records say
Key Points:
- David Brouillette, an ICE officer who fatally shot Colombian national Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Maine, has a troubling past including allegations of domestic abuse, mental health struggles, and a history of violence within his family.
- Despite his mental health diagnoses and history of volatile behavior, Brouillette was hired by ICE during a hiring surge aimed at enforcing President Trump's immigration crackdown, raising concerns about DHS's vetting process.
- Brouillette served in the Maine Army National Guard and U.S. Army, including deployment to Afghanistan, which relatives say worsened his mental health; after military service, he held various jobs including law enforcement roles and was collecting VA disability benefits.
- Family court records and testimonies from ex-wives and daughters detail years of physical and verbal abuse by Brouillette, yet he maintains he acted in self-defense in the shooting, a claim supported by his immediate relatives and himself.
- The incident and Brouillette's background have sparked criticism regarding federal law enforcement accountability and the need for local involvement in investigations of ICE-related shootings.