Border Patrol agent shoots, kills man after vehicle pursuit near Sasabe
A U.S. Border Patrol agent this month shot and killed a U.S. citizen who was suspected of smuggling five undocumented migrants.
The shooting happened at 6:41 p.m. on March 14 after a vehicle pursuit in southwest Arizona north of Sasabe. After the vehicle chase ended, a Border Patrol agent broke the rear and front driver’s side windows with his baton and reached into the BMW.
The agent tried to hold the driver’s left arm as the car was moving in reverse. The driver stopped, changed gears and started turning the steering wheel with his right hand as the agent tried to hold on to the driver’s left forearm, which was outside of the window.
The agent drew his handgun and shot the driver once, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
One U.S. citizen in the passenger seat got out of the BMW “immediately” before the shooting, according to CBP. Two migrants were in the back seat and three others were in the trunk, per CBP.
The two agents rendered aid to the driver by trying to resuscitate him and by using a defibrillator. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
The Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy on the driver the day after the shooting. More information on the cause and manner of death is expected to be released by the office at the conclusion of their review, CBP said.
The agent who shot the driver is on administrative leave, as is customary following a deadly use-of-force incident, per CBP.
“CBP is committed to expeditious release of the body worn camera footage of this incident as soon as is appropriate to do so without impacting the ongoing law enforcement investigation,” according to a written CBP statement.
The incident comes in the wake of another shooting by a Border Patrol agent last month. On Feb. 26, a Border Patrol agent reportedly shot and injured a person near Amado as agents investigated a human smuggling event.
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So far in fiscal year 2023, which began in October, there have been 145 use-of-force incidents documented by Border Patrol in Arizona, per CBP data. Nationwide, there have been 409 incidents.
John Mennell, CBP's public affairs specialist for Arizona, did not provide further details about the shooting and referred to the official news release as the only information available. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department also said that there was no new information or details available.
The episode began at 6:18 p.m. when a Border Patrol remote camera operator saw multiple suspected undocumented migrants load into a BMW about one mile north of the Sasabe port of entry.
The information was relayed and two agents, who were parked in separate marked Border Patrol vehicles, began to follow a BMW that passed them going northbound near mile marker 12 on State Route 286. The driver of the BMW reportedly was driving in an erratic manner, turning turn signals on and off and speeding up and slowing down.
The agents turned their emergency equipment on and tried to conduct a traffic stop but the BMW continued driving and a pursuit began.
The agents chased the BMW as the driver turned west near mile marker 20 on SR 286 onto Brown Bear Canyon Road. The BMW driver tried to turn around by turning the car south 3.8 miles west of SR 286 at 6:41 p.m.
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The first agent who arrived positioned his vehicle behind the BMW, got out and began walking toward the BMW’s driver’s side. He broke the windows and reached into the car as it moved in reverse.
Special agents with CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility reviewed the body camera footage captured during the shooting, per CBP.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility responded to the scene.
The shooting is under investigation by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI and is under review by the Office of Professional Responsibility. The shooting also will be reviewed by CBP’s National Use of Force Review Board at the end of the investigation.
Have a news tip or story idea about the border and its communities? Contact the reporter at josecastaneda@arizonarepublic.com or connect with him on Twitter @joseicastaneda.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Border Patrol agent shoots, kills man after vehicle pursuit
