Thompson says ICE used reckless deadly force in Guerrero's death
Bennie ThompsonU.S. representative and ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security
Thompson said the Durán family deserved accountability and justice, and he described ICE's use of deadly force as reckless and consequential.
“ICE cannot continue using reckless and deadly force without consequence.”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
Was the ICE officer justified in fatally shooting Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero?
On July 13, 2026, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero during an attempted vehicle stop at Pool and Hill streets in Biddeford, Maine. ICE said Guerrero's vehicle attempted to flee and that the officer fired because he feared for public safety; Maine's initial account said the vehicle moved in the officer's direction. A nearby resident said he heard Guerrero say he had tried to stop and heard the officer say Guerrero tried to hit him. Security cameras recorded gunfire and portions of the aftermath but do not continuously show the vehicle's path at the moment of firing, and the agents reportedly lacked activated body cameras. The Associated Press and relatives identified the shooter as David Brouillette, though DHS has not confirmed his identity. In late September 2026, the Maine attorney general's office declined to comment on its investigation and had announced no finding. The dispute is whether Guerrero's vehicle posed an imminent threat when the officer fired.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Official congressional release summarizing the August 17 Biddeford hearing and quoting participants. The statements express the speakers' positions; they do not resolve the state investigation or the disputed vehicle movement.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Members of Congress held a field hearing in Biddeford after Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero was fatally shot during an ICE vehicle stop.
After the quotation
Thompson called for congressional accountability before another family experienced a similar loss.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Thompson explicitly described ICE's use of deadly force as reckless and said it should carry consequences, directly rejecting the view that the shooting was justified.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
More from this case
Read the full caseRichard Blumenthal says Durán Guerrero was murdered
“State and local authorities have been stymied and stopped in their effort to investigate. ICE has withheld and concealed evidence. The failure to investigate is obvious and deeply wrong and shameful for the federal government. On July 7, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a father and husband, was shot and killed by ICE agents while on his way to work in Houston. And just five days later, Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero was murdered in Maine, leaving behind a wife and three-year-old daughter.”Read statement
Karolina Rojas Alvarez says her family wants justice
“No immigrant should be murdered in this way. On behalf of my husband's family, my daughter and myself we want justice.”Read statement
Sean Murphy calls for the ICE officer's prosecution
“The only justification given for Johan's death was that it was in the interest of public safety. You know what actually keeps the public safe? Not shooting innocent and law-abiding fathers whose only dream is to build a better life for his family.”Read statement
Cite this record
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- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Thompson says ICE used reckless deadly force in Guerrero's death
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/2218-thompson-said-the-dur%C3%A1n-family-deserved-accountability-and
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Thompson says ICE used reckless deadly force in Guerrero's death". First published: 2026-09-24. Last updated: 2026-09-24. https://disputeindex.com/events/2218-thompson-said-the-dur%C3%A1n-family-deserved-accountability-and