The ICE officer involved in the fatal shooting of Colombian national Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine, has been identified by the Associated Press as 37-year-old David Brouillette. The shooting happened during an enforcement operation on July 13 and has drawn national attention.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the vehicle Durán Guerrero was in tried to leave the scene and an officer fired a weapon because of concerns about public safety. While ICE has not publicly named the officer, reported that Brouillette’s former family members identified him and shared details about his personal history, military service, and past struggles.
David Brouillette’s troubled past
According to an AP investigation, several of Brouillette’s relatives said he had serious mental health issues from a young age. A close family member told the news agency that he was diagnosed with and attention deficit disorder as a child and was hospitalized multiple times. The relative also claimed he attempted suicide twice at age 12.
His ex-wife Ashley Brouillette told AP that their marriage ended in 2009 after what she described as repeated physical abuse. Court records reviewed by AP also include allegations from another former wife, who accused him of harassment, stalking, and abusive behavior toward family members. AP reported that Brouillette denied some of those allegations in court filings and said he had been slandered.
His daughter, Madison Brouillette, told AP: “I watched my dad struggle a lot with a lot of things.” She also said, “If you don’t really, truly take care of yourself, there’s no way you can protect other people. And with my dad, he never wanted to get help.”
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David Brouillette’s Army career
Brouillette grew up in Gardiner, Maine, and had long wanted a career in law enforcement and the military, according to relatives. Military records cited by AP show he served in the Maine Army National Guard before joining the in 2010.
He worked as a human intelligence collector and was deployed to Afghanistan from 2012 to 2013. He left the Army as a sergeant in 2015. After his military service, he held several jobs, including positions with the Maine Correctional Center, the state’s Health and Human Services Department, and a Veterans Affairs medical center police force.
AP reported that he later trained as a firefighter but suffered a head injury during a training exercise. A lawsuit filed over the incident said he experienced concussion-related symptoms, including memory problems and headaches.
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What was said about the shooting?
DHS has said the officer fired after Durán Guerrero’s vehicle allegedly attempted to flee. Three relatives who told AP they spoke with Brouillette after the shooting said he believed he acted in self-defense.
His ex-wife said he told her, “It was a justified shooting. The guy was trying to run him over with a car.” His daughter said he also defended his actions, telling her he did what he had to do to protect himself.
Responding to questions about the officer, spokesperson Lauren Bis said: “We will never confirm or deny attempts to dox our law enforcement officers.” She added that the officer has nearly a decade of federal law enforcement experience and has completed required use-of-force training.
