Border agent shoots, kills man in Douglas

By Marisa Gerber Arizona Daily Star Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Monday, March 21, 2011 8:37 pm

A Border Patrol agent shot and killed a 19-year-old man east of the Douglas port of entry Monday afternoon, officials said.

The incident began with Douglas police pursuing an alleged drug smuggler around 12:30 p.m., said FBI spokesman Manuel Johnson.

The driver of the vehicle, identified as Carlos La Madrid of Douglas, drove toward the border, says Carol Capas, a spokeswoman for the Cochise County Sheriff’s Department.

When the vehicle arrived near the border wall east of the port of entry, a Border Patrol agent was in the area, Capas says.

Details are sketchy, but at some point there were rocks thrown at the agent, Capas said.

The agent then fired at La Madrid, striking him three times. Capas didn’t know who threw the rocks or if La Madrid was in his vehicle or on foot at the time of the shooting.

“We have evidence that rocks were thrown, but it’s unclear who threw them,â€