A cellphone video of federal immigration agents pinning a man to a Long Beach, California street as he screams that his arm is broken has ignited a fierce political firestorm over immigration enforcement. The footage, recorded Saturday, October 17, 2026, shows Ricardo Gonzalez handcuffed and face down in a gutter while agents wearing "Police ICE" vests hold him down, as neighbors gather and confront the officers.
Witnesses and the man's family say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents used excessive force during a wrongful arrest of a U.S. citizen. Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security has publicly explained why Gonzalez was detained.
What the Video Shows
In the footage shared by witness Sherman Austin, Gonzalez can be heard yelling repeatedly, "Help me, my arm is broken," and "call a paramedic," as agents restrain him near the curb. A separate clip circulated by the advocacy group StopICE.net shows a man being taken to the ground and pinned by masked agents.
Austin told CNN he saw Gonzalez struck by an unmarked vehicle before agents tasered him and pinned him down. Neighbor accounts gathered by the Long Beach Post describe an agent jumping out of an unmarked car and tackling Gonzalez after accusing him of throwing something at the vehicle; the outlet said it could not confirm a vehicle strike. Gonzalez's daughter, Leslie Gonzalez, wrote in an online fundraiser that her father was riding an e-bike when he was knocked down by an unmarked ICE vehicle, adding: "They tasered him twice, pinned him to the ground, and took him to the hospital for severe injuries."
Who Is Ricardo Gonzalez
Gonzalez, 40, was born in Hanford, California, and worked for the City of Long Beach for roughly eight years in the health department and then utilities before leaving in September. He was riding his e-bike near Elm Avenue and 56th Street in North Long Beach on Saturday afternoon when the encounter began. His family identifies him as a U.S. citizen, a status that has not been independently confirmed by every outlet covering the story. Neighbors said about eight unmarked law enforcement vehicles had been parked in the area since early Saturday morning, and roughly 50 residents poured into the street during the confrontation.
Official and Political Reaction
Long Beach police said officers arrived to find Gonzalez handcuffed and detained by federal agents. Officers took him to a nearby fire station, where his handcuffs were removed, and fire department personnel transported him to a hospital for medical attention. Police said that when they left the scene, some ICE agents followed them to the station's parking lot, where the federal agents were asked to leave.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson called for an independent investigation in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, asking that all federal agents involved be removed from their enforcement duties pending the investigation. "When the police arrived, we know that he was detained. He was on a curb. He was injured," Richardson told CNN.
U.S. Representative Robert Garcia, whose district includes Long Beach, held a news conference Monday calling for an investigation into the arrest, saying agents engaged in illegal behavior would face accountability if Democrats regain control of the congressional oversight committee. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli criticized Garcia for backing groups that confronted the agents, writing online: "These incidents would be less common if the targets complied with lawful commands. You're intentionally fanning the flames and increasing danger for the community and officers."
What Happens Next
Gonzalez was later released and treated at a local hospital; he was later seen with his arm in a sling. His family said he is not speaking to the media, and DHS has not publicly responded to requests for more information.
The episode lands amid already volatile debate over federal immigration operations in California communities, and both the mayor's investigation demand and the congressional pressure suggest the questions around the October 17 arrest will not fade quickly. Two competing narratives stand: one of a brutal, unjustified assault on a citizen, and one in which the full context of the agents' actions has yet to be disclosed.
Watch: Dramatic video shows Ricardo Gonzalez pinned to the ground by ICE agents in Long Beach, screaming that his arm is broken and calling for a paramedic (ABC7 Los Angeles coverage of the arrest footage).
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Hitman (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: CNN's reporting on the Long Beach ICE incident and the mayor's investigation demand; Al Jazeera's video report on Ricardo Gonzalez's claims; the Long Beach Post's account of neighbors' first-hand descriptions; a roundup of what is known about the October 17 detention.