ICE Firearms Trainer Linked to Four Fatal Police Shootings Helped Train DHS Tactical Units: Report

A firearms and tactical instructor hired to help train Department of Homeland Security Special Response Teams was involved in at least four fatal police shootings during his career with the Phoenix Police Department, according to a report published by WIRED based on court records and a 2021 deposition.

The report identified David S. Norman, founder of Arizona-based training company TruKinetics LLC, as a former Phoenix police officer who participated in six on-duty shootings between the late 1990s and his retirement in 2020, incidents that left four people dead and two wounded. Norman later secured a federal contract to help conduct mandatory tactical training for DHS Special Response Team operators at Fort Benning, Georgia.

According to procurement records reviewed by WIRED, TruKinetics received nearly $28,000 for a year-long contract tied to the annual 40-hour certification course required for some Special Response Team members from ICE, Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection. The units receive training in close-quarters combat, sniper tactics, breaching with explosives and other paramilitary operations.

Norman defended his work in comments to WIRED, saying the Homeland Security Investigations teams he trained were "top dudes" and describing it as "an honor to work with them." But the report also cited a 2021 podcast interview in which Norman described himself as "a fucking savage" during his years in policing and said he actively sought out dangerous encounters.

The revelations come amid growing scrutiny over the Trump administration's use of heavily armed federal tactical units in immigration enforcement operations across major U.S. cities. A separate WIRED investigation published in April reported that Border Patrol tactical teams such as BORTAC and BORSTAR — units traditionally associated with cartel interdictions, hostage rescues and military-style operations — have increasingly been deployed for street-level immigration raids and protest response operations.

Former ICE acting director John Sandweg told WIRED at the time that the use of Special Response Teams against protesters and in civil immigration operations represented a major shift from their original purpose. "What are we doing deploying them to deal with protesters? It's a recipe for disaster," he said.

Questions about private contractors working alongside immigration authorities have also expanded beyond tactical training. Earlier this month, reports showed ICE hired MVM Inc. , a contractor previously accused in court filings of abuses tied to detention operations, to help conduct "safety and wellness checks" on migrant children released from federal custody.