--- title: "LAPD Sends Findings to the DA in Fatal Shooting by an Off-Duty ICE Officer" description: "Six months after Keith Porter Jr. was shot and killed by an off-duty federal immigration officer outside a Northridge apartment complex, the LAPD has completed its investigation and handed its findings to the Los Angeles County District Attorney, who will decide whether to file charges." category: "Los Angeles" category_url: https://herald.la/category/los-angeles author: "Gabriela Soto" published: 2026-07-01T22:45:00.000Z updated: 2026-07-01T22:45:00.000Z canonical: https://herald.la/article/lapd-sends-findings-to-the-da-in-fatal-shooting-by-an-off-duty-ice-officer tags: ["LAPD", "ICE", "shooting", "District Attorney", "Northridge", "criminal justice"] --- # LAPD Sends Findings to the DA in Fatal Shooting by an Off-Duty ICE Officer Six months after Keith Porter Jr. was shot and killed by an off-duty federal immigration officer outside a Northridge apartment complex, the LAPD has completed its investigation and handed its findings to the Los Angeles County District Attorney, who will decide whether to file charges. A case that has drawn protests and demands for accountability now sits with Los Angeles County prosecutors. ## A New Year's Eve killing Keith Porter Jr., 43, was shot and killed in the early hours of December 31, 2025, outside an apartment complex on Roscoe Boulevard in Northridge, [according to LAist](https://laist.com/news/criminal-justice/lapd-findings-da-keith-porter-ice-officer-shooting). An off-duty U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who lived at the same complex fired the shots. What led to the confrontation is sharply disputed. ## Two accounts The Department of Homeland Security has said the officer acted in self-defense, describing a man who heard escalating gunfire outside his apartment, encountered Porter holding what appeared to be a rifle pointed in his direction, and fired after Porter allegedly refused to drop it; DHS also said Porter fired rounds. Porter's family tells a different story: they say he was firing a rifle into the air to celebrate the New Year and posed no threat. Their attorney, Jamal Tooson, who filed a legal claim against the federal government, said witnesses contradict the federal account and that the officer "failed to use de-escalation tactics before opening fire." A rifle was recovered at the scene. None of the contested circumstances has been tested in court. The Herald is not naming the officer, who was identified only through unrelated court filings and has not been publicly confirmed by DHS or charged with any crime. ## The investigation moves to the DA After months of pressure from the family and community advocates, the LAPD completed its review and presented its findings to the District Attorney's office, LAist reported. "The Los Angeles Police Department has presented this case to our office, and it is currently under review," the DA's office said, adding that prosecutors would analyze the evidence to determine whether they can prove a crime "beyond a reasonable doubt." No charges have been filed, and the office has not set a timeline. ## Where things stand ICE suspended the officer's firearm authorization and placed him on administrative duty in late May, [ABC7 reported](https://abc7.com/post/keith-porter-court-documents-appear-identify-off-duty-ice-agent-fatal-northridge-shooting/18432321/); he remains employed by the agency. Porter's death drew demonstrations, including at the downtown federal building, and the family's claim signals that a civil lawsuit may follow any decision on criminal charges. For now, the outcome rests with District Attorney Nathan Hochman's office, which must weigh whether the evidence meets the high bar for prosecution — a judgment that dispute alone does not settle. ## Sources - [LAPD submits findings to DA in fatal shooting of Keith Porter Jr. by off-duty ICE officer](https://laist.com/news/criminal-justice/lapd-findings-da-keith-porter-ice-officer-shooting) - [Court documents appear to identify off-duty ICE agent in fatal Northridge shooting](https://abc7.com/post/keith-porter-court-documents-appear-identify-off-duty-ice-agent-fatal-northridge-shooting/18432321/)