Pinal sheriff gives account of deputy's gunbattle in desert

by Dennis Wagner -
May. 4, 2010 09:05 PM
The Arizona Republic

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu said Tuesday that Deputy Louie Puroll was working alone, tracking footprints in the desert shortly before 4 p.m. Friday when he spotted armed smugglers ahead of him.

At that point, Babeu said, the deputy called for backup while continuing to trail the suspects.

"What's he to do?" the sheriff asked. "Do you run? Or do you expect us to take action?"

Just 10 minutes later, as deputies rushed to lend support, Puroll was fired upon by a gunman who apparently circled around for an ambush.

Babeu said Puroll, unloaded a 30-round clip from M-16 A1 assault rifle and then a full magazine from a .40-caliber Glock with 16 rounds in it.

The gunbattle lasted less than a minute, and the smugglers continued to fire in Puroll's direction even after he took cover.

As he hid, Puroll phoned dispatchers to advise that he had been shot.

Babeu said Puroll is assigned to Operation Stone Garden, a federally funded task force with the Border Patrol aimed at narcotics trafficking and violence in a particularly busy smuggling corridor that runs through the Tohono O'odham Nation and into Pinal County.

The sheriff said the first search aircraft, a National Guard helicopter, did not arrive at the remote scene until an hour after the shooting. When crew members mistook the sound of a falling clipboard for gunfire, he said, the rescue efforts were delayed to make sure the area was secure.

Although marijuana smugglers typically dump their backpacks when detected by law enforcement, Babeu said Puroll's assailants apparently had time to gather up the contraband and flee, leaving behind an empty AK-47 magazine and other items.

"It was such a confusing mess," Babeau said. "There is no doubt there was plenty of opportunity to escape."

Babeu said DPS investigators, who handled the crime scene, have not yet provided information on the evidence they found.

Although Puroll acted appropriately in following the suspects alone, Babeu said he has issued new departmental orders requiring all deputies assigned to Operation Stone Garden to work in pairs.

Babeu said the criminal and internal investigations are continuing. He said Puroll was placed on administrative leave for three days, per department policy, but has been cleared to return to duty.

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