Do you honestly believe that a Mexican drug smuggler with hundreds of pounds of drugs doesn't carry a weapon? The agents say they believe he was armed, and the smuggler's own relatives say he was never without a gun. But, you're happy to give the invading drug-smuggler the benefit of the doubt, and immunity for his crimes against us, to go after our border patrol.
You don't sound much like a "patriot," imo.
When the border guards shot the man in the back, they didn't know he possessed drugs...and you don't shoot people running away from you.
Okay, let's assume you're right. Let's say Davila had a gun on his person. It doesn't matter. He was shot while running away. You can't shoot people when they're running away *UNLESS* you have reason to believe that they're an imminent threat to you or others.
Allow me to give you two examples: LEO tussles with a bad guy, who draws a gun, pops a round or two at the LEO, then runs away, gun in hand, toward an innocent bystander. The LEO shoots him in the back. GOOD SHOOT, because the LEO has reason to believe that the bad guy is an imminent threat to the safety of the civilian.
Same LEO, tussling with same bad guy. Bad guy *doesn't* draw the gun, but turns and runs toward the same innocent bystander, but without the gun drawn. LEO shoots him in the back. BAD SHOOT, because the LEO had no reason to assume that the bystander was in danger of serious bodily injury or death.
It's really that simple.
At first, when I heard about this, I was completely sympathetic to the Border Agents. It is embarrassing that many conservative shows are broadcasting the myths (as presented in post #44) as fact.
The one I hear all the time is one of the agents was Patrolman of the Year, when in fact he had been disciplined twice for domestic abuse (see the last myth). It has become apparent either complete ignoramusi or others with more sinister motives have hijacked this event to he detriment of conservatives.
Myth: ALDRETE HAD A GUN AND THE AGENTS ONLY FIRED IN SELF DEFENSE
Reality: Trial testimony from other Border Patrol agents who were at the scene and who arrived shortly after the shooting shows that this is not true. Testimony further revealed that Agents Compean and Ramos never took cover nor did they ever warn the other agents to take cover. This action demonstrates that they did not perceive a threat.
In his statement to investigators, Compean admitted that Aldrete had attempted to surrender with both hands open and in the air. Had Agents Compean and Ramos truly believed Aldrete was a threat, they would not have abandoned him after the shooting and they would have warned their fellow agents who arrived at the scene to stay out of the open while an armed suspect was on the loose. If the agents had believed that the shooting was justified then they would have left the crime scene undisturbed and let the investigation absolve them. The agents knew that Aldrete did not have a weapon and they knew he posed no threat to them as he fled. Agent Juarez(another Border Agent on the scene) also testified that Aldrete was surrendering to Compean with his hands open and empty palms turned to Compean.