Border Patrol agents shoot man suspected of hitting agent with rock and stealing his ATV
Border Patrol agents shot a 19-year-old man who is suspected of hitting another agent with a rock and then stealing his all-terrain vehicle, prompting a brief chase early Sunday in the Tijuana River Valley north of the U.S.-Mexico border.
San Diego homicide detectives, who are handling the investigation, said the incident happened near Monument Road and Saturn Boulevard — an area often referred to as Spooner’s Mesa — about 2:35 a.m.
An agent was patrolling the area when he came across a man and tried to make contact with him, San Diego homicide Lt. Matt Dobbs said. A fight ensued, in which the man is suspected of hitting the agent with a rock and knocking him off his ATV.
The suspect then stole the ATV and was quickly pursued by other agents in the area before crashing into a fence, Dobbs said.
During the incident, two Border Patrol agents fired at the man, hitting him at least once. He was taken to a hospital with injuries that weren’t believed to be life-threatening, Dobbs said.
The lieutenant did not say when the shooting occurred.
No agents were seriously hurt.
Anyone with information about what happened was asked to call detectives at (619) 521-2293 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at (888) 580-8477.
Winkley writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
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