Customs agent shoots man dead near Canada-Washington border

SUMAS, Wash. -- A federal Customs and Border Protection spokesman says a U.S. Border Patrol agent fatally shot "a suspected illegal border crosser" after the agent was assaulted while patrolling the U.S.-Canada border near Sumas, Washington.

The Bellingham Herald reports that Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo says the person killed Thursday afternoon was a man.

In a short statement Thursday night, spokesman Michael Friel offered no details about the nature of the assault or how the agent encountered the person at the border. The newspaper reported the agent wasn't seriously hurt.

Neither the agent nor the person killed was immediately identified by authorities.

Friel says the FBI has been briefed and a multiagency team will investigate the shooting.

The small border crossing at Sumas is about 100 miles north of Seattle.

Editors note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the victim as Daniel Paul, who is wanted in Vancouver in connection with the death of his girlfriend. Vancouver Police say Paul is still at large.