Posted on 05/31/2007 2:08:18 PM PDT by Omega Man II
By Debbi Farr Baker
UNION-TRIBUNE BREAKING NEWS TEAM
1:32 p.m. May 31, 2007
ESCONDIDO – A Border Patrol agent shot and killed a man early Thursday morning during a struggle over the agent's gun after the man ran away from a parking lot where agents had earlier arrested a dozen people suspected of illegal border crossing, authorities said.
The incident began around midnight, when undercover border agents patrolling El Cajon started following a blue 1991 Ford Aerostar van they suspected was carrying illegal immigrants, said Sheriff's homicide Sgt. Roy Frank.
Advertisement They followed it until its driver stopped at a Park and Ride lot on Mountain Meadow Road at Champagne Boulevard, off Interstate 15 in an unincorporated area of Escondido. It was there that agents arrested the driver and 11 others in the van on suspicion of illegal immigration, Frank said.
About a half hour later, as one of the agents waited for a truck to arrive to tow away the van, a man in a 1992 Mitsubishi Expo drove into the lot and parked next it, Frank said.
The agent was dressed in civilian clothes but was wearing a badge around his neck identifying him as a law-enforcement officer, Frank said.
He went to talk to the man and, after confirming the man's identity over a police radio, went to arrest him on an immigration violation, Frank said.
The two ended up in a struggle, and the man took off running toward a nearby field, Frank said. The agent called for backup and chased him, catching up with him just a short distance away in a dirt field.
During another struggle, the man tried to take the agent's gun, Frank said.
“The agent was knocked to the ground but able to pull his gun back, and at that point, discharged the gun at least once, striking the suspect,” Frank said.
The man was Hispanic and believed to be in his 30s, Frank said. It wasn't immediately known what, if any, connection he had with the people who were arrested, although it's common for more than one vehicle to be used in smuggling operations.
The agent involved in the shooting was taken to a local station to be interviewed, Frank said. He was not injured in the incident.
The agent, whose name was not released, will be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which is standard procedure, said Border Patrol spokeswoman Wendi Lee.
Deputies closed Mountain Meadow Road at the I-15 offramp, along with a short portion of Centre City Parkway adjacent to the field where the man died, for an investigation expected to last to at least mid-morning.
“Any time we have an officer-involved shooting we don't want to leave one stone unturned,” Frank said.
Now watch Alberto Gonzalez have the agent put on trial for murder.
I’m sure he’ll get all due process...before they lynch him.
He’ll put Sutton and Kanof on it.
We need to pray this brave agent doesn’t get railroaded. Mexico has become our Gaza.
These agents are heros too, I would not want to be one, for the work they are expected to do and do, with out any recognition, and the President wants to hire more. they are lucky any one signs up for this thankless job..
I expect Sutton to be here any day to prosecute this agent.. Just two days ago another load of illegals crashed, and the lady who was hiding in the trunk was on life support and two others in intensive care, silence now on that accident, and the cost of the three in the hospital...
I really feel for this agent because he is going to get the screwing of his life. You don’t F@#% with Mexicans, hasn’t Bush shown us all that they are a priviliged class of people above and beyond all law and to mess with them brings prison time.
Again I feel bad. Honestly I can’t wait till Hillary is president so there will be someone in the White House I can feel good about hating. Hating Bush makes me feel dirty like I’m some kind of liberal.
Now watch Alberto Gonzalez have the agent put on trial for murder.
I guess Ramos and Compien will have some company in prison.
In other words, we want to give the illegal alien scum every benefit of the doubt instead of our own professionally trained Border Patrol Agents.
Expect a sizeable lawsuit victory for this criminal scumbag's family, care of the ACLU.
Big news coming soon, all I need is two phone calls. I should be on the Rick Amato Show sometime next week.
Nice shooting and thank you, unnamed agent.
Now, prepare for your life to become a living Hell.
a sad state has our justice system become. God bless that INS Agent. There is one American family that won’t be suffering a loved one lost to the hands of those illegal punks.
Oh boy, here we go again.
They don’t leave one stone unturned. What does that mean?
ping
I-15 and Escondido puts it in California. Thankfully out of Sutton’s jurisdiction. However Cali might be worse unfortunately.
no kidding. By the way, if the President wants to give amnesty to illegals...he should turn around then and release the two border patrol agents. why legitimize the illegals and yet leave two upstanding, honorable men who were doing their jobs in jail? It’s abominable!!!
“We need to pray this brave agent doesn’t get railroaded. Mexico has become our Gaza”
“We need to pray this brave agent doesn’t get railroaded. Mexico has become our Gaza”
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