ICE Officer in Fatal Maine Shooting Had Long History of Mental Health Struggles, Family Says

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer who fatally shot a Colombian man in Maine this week had a long history of mental health problems and violent behaviour that, according to several relatives, should have disqualified him from serving in law enforcement.

Family members told The Associated Press that David Brouillette, an Army veteran, struggled with severe psychiatric issues from childhood and had a history of threatening and abusive behaviour. One relative shared a voicemail from last winter in which Brouillette said he believed someone should “slit” her throat.

The allegations have raised fresh questions about the Department of Homeland Security’s vetting process as it expanded recruitment to support President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign.

At least 10 people have died in encounters with immigration officers since Trump returned to office, including 25-year-old Colombian national Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, who was shot and killed by Brouillette on Monday while sitting in his vehicle near his home in Biddeford, Maine.

The Department of Homeland Security has not publicly identified the officer involved. Officials said the vehicle attempted to flee and that the officer fired his weapon out of concern for public safety.

Brouillette did not respond to requests for comment. However, three relatives, including an ex-wife and his daughter, said he told them the shooting was an act of self-defence.

ICE spokesperson Lauren Bis declined to discuss the officer’s identity, saying the agency would not confirm or deny attempts to identify law enforcement personnel. She added that the officer had nearly a decade of federal law enforcement experience and had received required use-of-force training.

Family says ICE hiring came as a surprise

Brouillette’s former wife, Ashley Brouillette, said he told her late last year that he had been hired by ICE, but she initially dismissed the claim because of what she believed was another mental health episode. She only realised he had been telling the truth after videos of Monday’s shooting circulated online.

Ashley Brouillette said her former husband later confirmed during a Facebook audio call that he had shot and killed Durán Guerrero. Their 18-year-old daughter, Madison Brouillette, also told AP that her father admitted responsibility during a phone call on Wednesday.

The couple, who married in 2007 after dating in high school, divorced two years later. Ashley Brouillette alleged that the marriage ended after he became physically abusive, including an incident in which he allegedly threw boiling water at her while she was holding their infant daughter.

She said the abuse continued after their separation.

Although a search of Maine criminal records found no criminal convictions involving Brouillette, family court records obtained by AP document years of abuse allegations made by his second ex-wife.

According to those filings, she accused Brouillette of stalking and harassing her and of physically and verbally abusing one of their daughters. In one application for a temporary protection order granted in 2021, she wrote that he needed counselling for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Brouillette denied the allegations in court filings, accusing his former wife of defaming him.

Madison Brouillette said she witnessed her father’s emotional instability growing up, recalling one occasion when he told her he had been sitting with a gun pointed at his own head.

She said he repeatedly refused to seek professional help despite his struggles.

A close relative, who requested anonymity, said Brouillette had been diagnosed with severe bipolar disorder and attention deficit disorder as a child, attempted suicide twice at age 12 and was hospitalised multiple times. Ashley Brouillette confirmed those childhood diagnoses.

The relative said family members eventually cut off contact because they feared he could become violent.

Military service and law enforcement ambitions

Relatives said Brouillette had long wanted a career in law enforcement and the military. School yearbooks show he participated in the Naval Junior ROTC programme and hoped to become a police officer.

According to the family, he was initially rejected by military recruiters because of his mental health history but later enlisted after spending a year off medication.

Pentagon records show he served in the Maine Army National Guard before joining the regular US Army in 2010 as a human intelligence collector. He deployed to Afghanistan between 2012 and 2013 and left the Army in 2015 with the rank of sergeant.

One relative believes his deployment worsened his psychological condition.

Events leading up to the shooting

After leaving the military, Brouillette briefly worked in real estate, obtaining a sales licence in March 2025 before later joining ICE.

Public records also show that Maine’s child support agency filed a lien against him in 2025, suggesting he may have been due a disability or impairment settlement.

Ashley Brouillette said that shortly before joining ICE, he left her a three-minute voicemail in which he repeatedly insulted her and suggested that she and other female relatives deserved to have their throats cut, while saying he was not directly threatening to carry out such an act.

She said they had no further contact until after Monday’s shooting, when she reached out to his current wife. During that exchange, Brouillette allegedly asked her to describe him as a good person and not discuss the abuse she had experienced during their marriage because, she said, he believed his reputation was now crucial.

According to Ashley Brouillette, he told her he was in protective custody and maintained that the shooting was justified because Durán Guerrero had tried to run him over with a vehicle.

Madison Brouillette said her father expressed a similar view, insisting he had acted to protect himself.

“He said he did what he had to do,” she said, adding that she believes he sees his actions as justified rather than viewing himself as a killer.