Thread: Suspected smuggler shot by border agent recovering

Suspected smuggler shot by border agent recovering
Man has not been identified
By Alexis Huicochea and Dale Quinn
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.26.2007

A suspected drug smuggler shot by a federal agent as he tried to ram a Border Patrol vehicle in an attempt to flee is in stable condition at a Tucson hospital, a Mexican official said Friday.

Mexican Consul Oscar De La Torre in Douglas said they are working with U.S. Authorities to identify the man, who is believed to be from Agua Prieta, Sonora,

The man suffered non-life-threatening wounds in the Thursday afternoon shooting. He is being treated at University Medical Center in Tucson, officials said.

The incident occurred at about 2 p.m. on Geronimo Trail at Milepost 4, east of Douglas, according to Carol Capas, a Cochise County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman.

Agents from the Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with the Douglas Police Department, were conducting an investigation when the man tried to drive his vehicle back to Mexico, said Vincent Picard, an ICE spokesman.

As the man was trying to get away, he was ramming a Border Patrol vehicle, which was carrying several agents, Picard said.
An ICE special agent shot the man.

"The agent felt their lives were in jeopardy," Picard said.
He did not know if the suspect was armed, he said.

According to Picard, there have been several incidents over the last few days in which smugglers have rammed vehicles when agents tried to stop them.

Information on the agent was not available Thursday night.
Both ICE and the Cochise County Sheriff's Department are investigating the incident.

Contact reporter Alexis Huicochea at 629-9412 or at ahuicochea@azstarnet.com
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/208363.php

Let's just hope that these BP Agents don't end up sitting at the defendant's table over this incident.

The prosecution of these folks for doing their jobs and acting appropriately when their lives are threatened, needs to stop.

It should have never started to begin with