Men who shot Pinal sheriff's deputy still at large

The Associated Press
May 4, 2010 9:39 pm

CASA GRANDE - Pinal County authorities say they are still searching for six suspects in last week's shooting of a sheriff's deputy.

At a news conference Tuesday night, county Sheriff Paul Babeu said his staff was "still trying to connect the dots" after 53-year-old deputy Louie Puroll was wounded while on patrol in the desert south of Phoenix last Friday evening.

Babeu says Puroll fired 46 rounds in a shootout with a group of drug smugglers after the veteran deputy came across a stash of marijuana bales near Interstate 8.

Puroll was treated and released for two superficial wounds at a Casa Grande hospital and authorities released pictures of the wounds Tuesday. They also released tapes of calls he made to dispatchers during the incident. Gunfire can be heard on the calls. In one he tells the dispatcher to tell Puroll's wife that "I love her."

Asked by a dispatcher if he was OK, Puroll says, "Hell no I'm not OK, I've been shot."

Babeu says Puroll believes he wounded one of the drug smugglers. But a massive search has not turned up any of the suspects that Puroll described.

Officials said two illegal immigrants were taken into custody in the area of the shooting and are being held on arrest warrants from other states. It hasn't been determined if they were among the group of smugglers who fired on Puroll.

Two other illegal immigrants ware detained by the Border Patrol near Three Points. The agency recovered four AK-47 rifles when they arrested the two, Pinal officials said.

Sheriff's officials said they also have in custody three illegal immigrants who may have been assaulted by the group of smugglers prior to the deputy's shooting. They are being held as possible witnesses.

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