Los Angeles – A Long Beach, California, resident was injured during an incident involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Saturday, according to federal and local officials. Ricardo Gonzalez, a former Long Beach city employee, was allegedly found by Long Beach police after he and other community members called 911 after becoming concerned about unmarked vehicles, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson told CNN on Sunday. ICE personnel had requested emergency assistance from the Long Beach Police Department in response to vehicle vandalism and a person in need of medical help, Long Beach police said in a statement Saturday. When local officers arrived, they found a man handcuffed and bleeding while in ICE detention, police said, adding that a “large group disturbance” involving officers was occurring. “(Gonzalez) called 911 when he saw the situation was getting worse, so he called and asked for help,” Richardson said. “When the police arrived, we know he was detained. He was on a sidewalk. He was injured.” It is not yet known what led to the circumstances or what occurred before Gonzalez was detained. A GoFundMe created by Gonzalez’s daughter, Leslie Gonzalez, said he was hit by an unmarked vehicle believed to be driven by federal agents while riding an electric bike. CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, the city of Long Beach and Long Beach police for more information. Videos shared by a witness showed González handcuffed and lying on the ground while being restrained by an agent wearing an “ICE Police” vest. In one video, the man can be heard repeatedly shouting: “Help me, my arm is broken” and “call a paramedic.” Richardson, who said he was “outraged” by the incident, spoke with Gonzalez, who told him he is a U.S. citizen, and his family after the incident. CNN is working to verify González’s citizenship status. American citizens have been caught up in the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration crackdown, which has featured highly visible law enforcement operations and aggressive tactics that have sparked nationwide protests, legal battles, and political backlash. Long Beach police officers took Gonzalez to a nearby fire station, where they removed his handcuffs, police said in the statement. Fire department personnel then transported him to a hospital for medical attention. Richardson declined to comment on Gonzalez’s current condition, citing his privacy. Meanwhile, officers remained at the scene in an attempt to calm the situation, according to the police statement. When Long Beach police left the scene, some ICE agents followed the officers to the station parking lot, where the federal agents were asked to leave and told they could contact the department to file a vandalism report. U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said in a post on GoFundMe was created to pay his medical bills, according to the website. Leslie Gonzalez said her father is currently receiving treatment for his injuries. “My dad is one of the hardest working men alive,” she wrote on GoFundMe. “Thanks to him I have a roof over my head and all the opportunities around me. Our family is everything thanks to him.” Richardson said he has tried to contact ICE through its complaint hotline, but has not yet spoken to anyone at the agency. What would have been a safe weekend in North Long Beach “turned into a violent incident with no transparency or accountability, and with many more questions than answers,” Richardson told CNN.
