Watch CBS News

Supreme Court Will Hear Case Involving Mexican Teen Shot By Border Patrol Agent

WASHINGTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Can the family of a Mexican teenager shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent sue for damages? That's the question the Supreme Court will soon try to answer.

The justices said Tuesday that they will hear arguments next term in a case involving an agent who fired shots across the U.S.-Mexico border that killed 15-year-old Sergio Adrian Hernandez Guereca.

The shooting occurred in 2010 on the border between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez.The U.S. Border Patrol agent, Jesus Mesa Jr., says he fired his gun because he was being attacked by people throwing rocks on the Mexican side of the border.

U.S. officials chose not to prosecute Mesa for the killing and the Obama administration refused a request to extradite him so that he could face criminal charges in Mexico.

The Supreme Court heard arguments in the case in 2017. It previously sent the case back to a lower court for additional proceedings.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.