Posted on 10/05/2012 12:17:48 PM PDT by SandRat
Investigators are looking into whether friendly fire caused the death of Border Patrol agent Nick Ivie or the wounding of his colleague early Tuesday morning.
Acting Cochise County Sheriff Rod Rothrock said it remains possible that either one was shot by another agent, though the investigation is still in its early stages.
"Gunfight situations are highly fluid and dramatic, and this was out there in the middle of the night," Rothrock said. "People are moving and running, and I can't say it didn't happen."
If it was friendly fire, that conclusion will be reached later in the investigation, he said.
An attorney for the wounded agent, whose name has not been released, said investigators are looking carefully at the case.
"I don't believe anyone involved in the investigation thinks anyone (in Border Patrol) committed a crime," attorney Sean Chapman said. "This happened in a really dangerous area. They were pursuing drug smugglers that were probably armed." The explanation, he said, "is probably going to come down to forensics."
Ballistics investigators can determine if a weapon was used in a shooting by test-firing a gun recovered at a scene and comparing the markings on the bullets.
The FBI would not comment on the possibility of friendly fire in the shooting east of Bisbee, citing the sensitivity and ongoing nature of the investigation.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada said the conditions agents encounter in the borderlands can be confusing.
"It's pitch dark, it's in the canyons, you're already apprehensive about being there in those conditions, then two groups run into each other," Estrada said. "Only the people who are there at that time can really say what the situation is like."
The news of the possibility of friendly fire emerged on the same day Mexican authorities publicly acknowledged they have two suspects in custody who were arrested early Tuesday.
The arrests occurred about five miles south of the shooting scene and hours later, but investigators have so far not confirmed any connection to the shooting.
Those suspects are being held in Hermosillo, Sonora.
•Funeral for slain US border agent set for Monday
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Friendly fire. Being shot with a weapon originating in the US...
More specifically being shot by another Border Agent.
More specifically being shot by another Border Agent.
I can't say I have any confidence that a new definition hasn't been created to help cover up Fascist and Furious crimes.
Just like Islamic mobs being motivated to attack an embassy by an obscure 12 minute internet video clip, or the unemployment rate suddenly dropping the furthest it has in 30 years, or Obama losing a debate because of the altitude are all possibilities, too.
Is there , or is there not , confirmation that Border Agent Ivie was armed with DHS directed “Bean-bag gun “ ?
This incident occurred 5 miles inside the U.S. Border .
I make this inquiry as 2 years previously , Border Agent Brian Terry was armed with a DHS “bean-bag gun” , and was shot and killed 30 miles inside the U.S. Border .
Hopefully DHS has begun to realize that a Border Agent’s life is in jeopardy in the two interviening years.
Yeah, yeah, let’s go with the friendly fire angle. Anything to not put the blame where it belongs.
There is no way on earth that this is what happened.
BPA #1 shoots BPA's #2 & #3. Shooter approaches targets to assertain situation. He finds one dead and one wounded. Within seconds he's aware that wounded is BPA.
Does he run? Wounded BPA would have description or would have shot at him.
If BPA #1 has already killed one, what's one more if he wanted to cover up his FU?
BP Agents are usually very good with their weapons so this would be very odd and a mistake of huge proportion (no kidding).
He was armed with a real weapon with real ammo.
Terry had bean-bag rounds because Nappy-Pants and The Big Zero didn’t want another fatal shooting of a mexican.
Another Theory: If friendly fire, when the Agents came under fire from the rip crew the female Agent, the uninjured Agent, riding drag panicked and started shooting and the other Agents were in her line of fire. Not saying it happened that way, just a scenario.
We shall see as details are sketchy and you know how things get twisted.
Geez!
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