The FBI is working with Arizona police to investigate a shooting involving a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Arizona.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday that the incident happened in Arivaca, roughly 20 miles from the Mexican border.
A man was “in custody and in critical condition” following the 7:30 a.m. shooting, fire officials told the Tucson Sentinel.
According to CNN, federal agents were attempting to stop a pickup truck when the vehicle’s driver tried to flee on foot. He reportedly shot at a law enforcement helicopter and Border Patrol agents, who then returned fire.
The unidentified victim was airlifted to Banner University Medical Center with serious wounds.
There have been 27 incidents so far this year involving use-of-force in the Tucson Sector where Tuesday’s shooting occurred. The area is a common path for drug smugglers and migrants who illegally cross the border, so agents regularly patrol there, according to authorities.
The immigration status of the man who was shot has not been reported.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said it’s standard procedure for its officers to work with the FBI when a federal agency is involved in a shooting in the county. The FBI said it was “investigating an alleged assault on a federal officer,” but did not provide further details.
Violence involving ICE and Border Patrol agents has drawn crticism globally since federal agents in Minnesota fatally shot Renee Good on Jan. 7 and ICU nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday. Both victims were U.S. citizens who took issue with the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement practices.
Minnesota officials have complained that federal law enforcement is not cooperating with local authorities to investigate those shootings.
With News Wire Services
