By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
Homeland Security missed clear warning signs of an ICE agent’s tendency to be violent before he opened fire on a supervisor and then was fatally shot in February 2012, the Associated Press reports, citing an internal investigation.
Ezequiel Garcia, 45, briefly had his gun and badge revoked by Homeland Security, which returned the weapon after a cursory review.
Before the shooting inside the Long Beach offices of Homeland Security Investigations, a supervisor objected to the agency from returning gun because of concerns over Garcia’s violent tendencies.
Garcia shot the regional second-in-command, Kevin Kozak, who suffered serious injuries.
Another supervisor shot and killed Garcia.
“The review revealed missed opportunities for intervention that, had they been pursued, may have prevented the tragic result,” the report said. Still, the report said “no reasonable person could have predicted” the shooting.
Woo and Rocha declined to speak to the AP through a government spokesman.
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