Mexicans are seething over the second death of a countryman at the hands of U.S. Border Patrol agents in two weeks, an incident near downtown El Paso that is threatening to escalate tensions over migrant issues.Well, El Presidente, perhaps the first thing you should do is teach your teens that rocks can be deadly weapons and throwing them at Border Patrol agents may result in return fire...and we don't throw rocks.
U.S. authorities said Tuesday a Border Patrol agent was defending himself and colleagues when he fatally shot the 15-year-old as officers came under a barrage of big stones while trying to detain illegal immigrants on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande.
About 30 relatives and friends gathered late Tuesday to mourn Sergio Adrian Hernandez Huereka, whose shooting Monday evening came along the border with Texas. He died on the Mexican side of the river.
"Damn them! Damn them!" sobbed Rosario Hernandez, sister of the dead teenager, at a wake in the family's two-room adobe house on the outskirts of Ciudad Juarez.
Preliminary reports on the incident indicated that U.S. officers on bicycle patrol "were assaulted with rocks by an unknown number of people," Border Patrol Special Operations Supervisor Ramiro Cordero said Tuesday.
"During the assault at least one agent discharged his firearm," he said. "The agent is currently on administrative leave. A thorough, multi-agency investigation is currently ongoing."
The shooting happened beneath a railroad bridge linking the two nations, and late Tuesday night a banner appeared on the bridge that said in English: "U.S. Border Patrol we worry about the violence in Mex and murders and now you. Viva Mexico!"
Less than two weeks ago, Mexican migrant Anastasio Hernandez, 32, died after a Customs and Border Protection officer shocked him with a stun gun at the San Ysidro border crossing that separates San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. The San Diego medical examiner's office ruled that death a homicide.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon said Tuesday that his government "will use all resources available to protect the rights of Mexican migrants."
There will undoubtedly be an attempt to demonize the agents involved, but people have have the training they do don't just shoot at ghosts or fire whenever things get scary. They've been trained to fire only when lives are in danger, so while it's possible this is an unjustified shooting, it's unlikely. I expect Obama to come out any minute and say the Border Patrol "acted stupidly" in order to placate the Mexicans, but then he'll have to have another beer summit when he's proven wrong. Hopefully he learned from the first time not to prejudge the actions of cops.
Posts
2 comments:
Our Current President is sending the Border Patrol out on bicycles? No wonder they need to employ their weapons in order to protect themselves.
At least put them in a Government Motors vehicle with bulletproof glass. The UAW would support that, right?
When you consider the mentality of some of these Illegals crossing the border into the U.S. you realize our Border Patrol Agents really have their work cut out for them. Throwing rocks at Border Patrol Agents is not the smart thing to do, the rock can either injure or even kill the person who the rock hits. More power to the Border Patrol to use whatever means they have to employ to arrest
these Illegal Aliens, whether they are Mexican or other races doesn't enter the picture, they are performing a Criminal Act when they cross our border illegally.
Post a Comment