Keith Porter: Vigil held for Los Angeles dad shot by ICE officer in Northridge
Keith Porter: LA dad shot by off-duty ICE agent
A candlelight vigil was held in Northridge to honor 43-year-old Keith Porter, who was shot to death by an off-duty ICE officer after celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve.
LOS ANGELES - Emotions ran high Sunday night in Northridge as dozens of people gathered for a candlelight vigil honoring 43-year-old Keith Porter, who was shot and killed last week by an off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
According to law enforcement, Porter — a father of two — fired celebratory gunshots into the air with an AR-15-style rifle outside his apartment complex on New Year’s Eve. An off-duty ICE officer who lives at the complex heard the gunfire and responded, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The ICE officer, who has not been identified, exchanged gunfire with the shooter, DHS said. Porter was pronounced dead at the scene.
"He was a great Black man. He was a girl dad," said Porter’s cousin, Jsane Tyler.
Chants of "Say his name, Keith Porter" echoed through the street Sunday evening as family members, neighbors, and activists mourned Porter and called for an independent investigation into the shooting.
In its statement, DHS said, "On December 31, an off-duty ICE officer bravely responded to an active shooter situation at his apartment complex. In order to protect his life and that of others, he was forced to defensively use his weapon and exchanged gunfire with the shooter. Fortunately, our brave officer was not injured while protecting his community."
An LAPD report states the off-duty federal officer confronted Porter, identified himself as law enforcement, and claims Porter fired toward him, prompting the officer to return fire.
Family members and community leaders dispute that account and say Porter was not a threat.
"This is not someone who was out to harm anyone," said Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles. "Police lie, and it’s disgusting the way they assassinate Black life."
Some at the vigil acknowledged that firing a weapon into the air is dangerous but questioned whether deadly force was justified.
"It’s not the smartest thing to do if that was the case," said neighbor Carter Nunez. "But regardless, is that punishable by death? I don’t think so. We have due process in this county."
As the vigil continued, community members renewed calls for an independent investigation.
"He was off duty. Protocol states he was supposed to stay in that house and call 911 if he thought Keith was a danger to anyone else," Tyler said.
Black Lives Matter Los Angeles said it plans to meet with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Monday to seek answers and accountability in the case.