ICE officer connected to fatal Maine shooting suffered 2021 head injury, which he said had left him with ‘cognitive deficits’

ICE Officer in Maine Shooting Had Prior Head Trauma, Ex-Wives Confirm He Was Shooter

Cognitive Issues from 2021 Injury Preceded Fatal Encounter

ICE officer connected to fatal Maine – An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent involved in Monday’s deadly shooting in Maine previously reported to a judge that he experienced ongoing mental difficulties following a severe cranial trauma. David Brouillette explained that a heavy steel I-beam landing on his head caused these lasting problems, which proved severe enough to prevent him from finishing a firefighter certification program. Even several years afterward, he continued experiencing symptoms from that incident.

Legal documents submitted toward the end of 2023 by Brouillette against the Maine Community College System—which oversaw the training program where the accident occurred—stated he remained “significantly impaired in his activities and in his daily living.” The complaint further claimed his post-concussive condition “impaired his cognitive functioning and impaired his memory.” By the time of the recent shooting, Brouillette had transitioned into his role as an ICE officer.

At thirty-seven years old, Brouillette was reportedly among the law enforcement personnel present in Biddeford following the fatal encounter, according to photographs of the scene reviewed by two of his former spouses. While CNN has not independently verified whether Brouillette was the officer who fatally shot twenty-five-year-old Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, federal authorities have not yet publicly named the shooter. The Department of Homeland Security indicated the agent employed deadly force due to concerns for public safety.

One ex-wife and one daughter both informed CNN that Brouillette reached out to them several days after the incident, stating he had fired his weapon. Each mentioned he believed the shooting was warranted. Separate federal sources also confirmed to CNN that he serves as an ICE officer.

Questions Emerge About ICE Vetting Following Shooting

Court records concerning Brouillette’s head injury, examined by CNN, have prompted renewed scrutiny of ICE’s screening and training procedures. Durán Guerrero’s death marks the second occasion within seven days that an ICE officer killed an immigrant driver, and represents the fourth such fatality this year involving federal immigration authorities. The incident has generated demonstrations and calls for a thorough, transparent investigation.

Ashley Brouillette, one of his former wives, told CNN that during a Facebook video call days after the shooting, he informed her he was the officer who shot Durán Guerrero. She also recognized him as one of the officers visible on video at the scene. One of Brouillette’s daughters similarly stated he told her he was the shooter. Lucinda Brouillette, another ex-wife, identified him as present after examining an image showing two officers who arrived shortly after Durán Guerrero was killed.

Brouillette has not responded to multiple requests for comment. Both former spouses have leveled accusations of abuse against him based on interviews and court records. In 2009, a child-protective caseworker documented that Ashley Brouillette “ended her marriage to David and now admits that he was verbally and physically abusive to her.” That same year, her attorney noted, “There is a history of allegations of domestic violence between the parties.”

In 2019, Lucinda Brouillette submitted a “complaint for protection from abuse,” citing a pattern of violent behavior. Court documents revealed she described episodes where he “pushed” past her, threatened her brother that he would “put him in the hospital,” and “bumped” her with his chest. A judge subsequently issued an order requiring David Brouillette to temporarily surrender any firearms. A 2020 order in the case did not include a formal finding of abuse but restricted David Brouillette from contacting his second ex-wife except under limited circumstances.

During 2021, Lucinda Brouillette alleged in court papers that he had grown “aggressive” toward his daughter, including an incident where he dumped spaghetti in her hair and tackled her. A judge dismissed that particular case without finding abuse. David Brouillette wrote in another filing that his second ex-wife made “accusations against me in retaliation for anger.” Both Ashley Brouillette and Lucinda Brouillette share daughters with David Brouillette.

“Honestly, I’m in a state of shock,” Ashley Brouillette told CNN on Wednesday. “I feel really sad, and I feel sad for that man’s family that died. I feel sad for his children, but I also feel bad for my daughter and her little sister because that’s their father.” Lucinda Brouillette communicated via text message that she “experienced a persistent pattern of abuse, intimidation, manipulation, fear, and control” throughout and after her marriage.

“There is a history of allegations of domestic violence between the parties.”

“Honestly, I’m in a state of shock,” Ashley Brouillette told CNN on Wednesday. “I feel really sad, and I feel sad for that man’s family that died. I feel sad for his children, but I also feel bad for my daughter and her little sister because that’s their father.”