US Border Patrol shoots and wounds human trafficking suspect in Arizona
Incident occurred in Arivaca, near the US-Mexico border, and follows recent controversial shootings by immigration agents
A US Border Patrol agent shot and wounded a human trafficking suspect who fired on a federal government helicopter in Arizona on Tuesday and later engaged in a shoot-out with the agent, officials said.
The suspect, a fugitive who had escaped from a halfway house related to a previous smuggling conviction, was in a serious but stable condition after undergoing surgery, the Pima County sheriff and FBI told a news conference.
The incident near the Mexican border occurred amid heightened tensions in the United States after immigration officers in Minnesota shot and killed two US citizens in recent weeks as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement surge.
The shooting took place in rural desert near the town of Arivaca, about 16km (10 miles) from the US-Mexico border, a busy crossing area for migrants and also the site of past tensions between migrant advocates and the Border Patrol.
FBI Special Agent Heith Janke identified the suspect as Patrick Gary Schlegel, 34, saying he was expected to be charged with assault on a federal officer, alien smuggling and felon in possession of a firearm.