When news broke that an ICE officer had fatally shot Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old Colombian national, near his home in Biddeford, Maine, AP reporters moved quickly in providing immediate live reports, verifying user-generated content and capturing images. But the team’s work did not stop with breaking news.
As the story unfolded, the U.S. News team pursued the deeper questions: Who was the officer who pulled the trigger, and how did he come to hold a position of such authority? Through relentless reporting, the team uncovered the troubling history of ICE Officer David Brouillette, revealing that the Army veteran had struggled with serious mental health issues since childhood and had faced allegations of domestic violence, according to multiple close relatives. Family members told the AP they believed Brouillette should never have been entrusted with a gun and badge. Their reporting also placed the shooting in broader context, noting Durán Guerrero was among at least 10 people who have died in encounters with immigration agents since President Trump launched his immigration crackdown.
The exclusive was the product of extraordinary teamwork across formats. Reporter Jack Brook tracked down Brouillette’s relatives and earned their trust, persuading them to speak publicly about personal events. Reporters Michael Sisak and immigration reporter Claire Galofaro examined public records and other documentation to corroborate the family’s account and build a comprehensive picture of Brouillette’s past. Video journalist Amanda Swinhart obtained hundreds of pages of court records that strengthened the reporting, while video journalist Mike Householder secured and conducted an exclusive sit-down interview with Brouillette’s ex-wife, providing powerful firsthand testimony that elevated the story across platforms.
Editor Tim Jacobs, along with the standards team, legal and several U.S. News managers, reviewed the story carefully to make sure it was ready for publication.
The judges praised the team’s remarkable enterprise, calling attention to its exceptional sourcing, meticulous corroboration and seamless coordination across text, video, audio and photography. They were particularly impressed by the persistence and sensitivity required to gain the confidence of Brouillette’s relatives, culminating in an on-camera interview that added depth, accountability and humanity to the reporting.
For exceptional enterprise reporting and compelling visual storytelling, Jack Brook, Amanda Swinhart, Michael Sisak, Claire Galofaro and Mike Householder win this week’s Best of the AP — First Winner.
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