Carlos Lamadrid's family speaks out about Border Patrol shooting
Posted: Mar 27, 2011 7:41 PM CDT
Updated: Mar 27, 2011 7:41 PM CDT
By Joel Waldman, Reporter -

NEW: 4 MINUTE VIDEO

DOUGLAS, Ariz. (KGUN9-TV) – From a munchkin sized mariachi to a singing one, Carlos Lamadrid's life was filled with music. But, his family's world went silent last Monday when the 19-year-old was shot and killed by Border Patrol. And, now, tears are breaking that quiet.

"Carlos was my first born. We will miss everything from him," said Lamadrid's mother, Lupita Guerrero-Lamadrid, through a translator.

Like the kicks he got out of soccer, and the fun he had hanging around with his family, especially his young wife who begged him to hang on; "I was telling him to be strong, not to leave me alone or anything. And, the only thing I saw was a tear drop down his face," said Nydia Valenzuela.

And, a drop is just about all authorities are telling the family and KGUN9. Amateur video captured from the Mexican side shows an ambulance on scene ready to take Lamadrid. Officials will only say cops tried to stop Lamadrid in Douglas when he suddenly took off. Border Patrol caught up to him by the border and shot and hit Lamadrid three times, raising an even larger number of questions.

"There are a lot of people out there who are wondering if your husband was maybe trafficking drugs, was he doing that?" KGUN9 asked. "No, he was a good person, he was always with me. And, he was dedicated to his family," insisted Valenzuela.

And, his wife said her husband would never throw rocks at anyone, let alone Border Patrol. But, authorities say someone did throw rocks and a shattered Border Patrol truck's windshield is around to prove that. But, even if Lamadrid was the thrower, his family said rocks are an unfair fight against speeding bullets.

"What difference does a rock make to a bullet? And, he wouldn't have even had time to stop to pick up a rock to throw," said Valenzuela.

"Allegedly, if rocks were thrown, many would say that is deadly force and Border Patrol has the right to fire back?" KGUN9 asked. "It's debated policy. But, we know its left a trail of death along the U.S. –Mexico border," said Border Action Network Executive Director, Jennifer Allen.

Border Action Network arguing, in this case, that Lamadrid unfairly received the death penalty, consuming his mother who wonders why her son received such a harsh punishment, "She says it's not a fair fight and they (Border Patrol) could've used other techniques," said Guerrero-Lamadrid.

http://www.kgun9.com/global/story.asp?s=14330978