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Wednesday, July 01, 2009
UPDATED: Border Patrol Agent Shoots Fleeing Immigrant in Texas
By Christopher Sherman
Associated Press
McALLEN, Texas — A Border Patrol agent shot a suspected illegal immigrant after an altercation in a Kingsville convenience store Wednesday.
The agent, who was not identified, chased the man into the Kwik Pantry convenience store after he and other people ran from a vehicle the Border Patrol was pursuing around 8 a.m., said Border Patrol spokesman John Lopez.
Inside the store, the immigrant fought the agent's attempts to detain him and wrestled away the agent's collapsable baton. It was at that point that the agent, "fearing for his life," shot the immigrant, Lopez said. The agent was unharmed.
The immigrant was flown by helicopter to Christus Spohn Corpus Christi-Memorial hospital, said Kingsville Fire Department Lt. Michael Luna. The man had been shot in the abdomen, Luna said.
Lopez said Wednesday afternoon that the man was out of surgery and recovering in the intensive care unit. He was listed as stable but still sedated.
Border Patrol had spotted the vehicle being loaded with suspected illegal immigrants earlier Wednesday morning, Lopez said. The agent involved in the shooting, found the vehicle later near the convenience store.
The agent remains on duty and the Kingsville Police Department is investigating the shooting with the support of the FBI, Lopez said. The agent has more than five years' experience with the agency, Lopez said.
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