Man hospitalized after exchanging gunfire with Border Patrol agents in Arizona, law enforcement officials say
A man was hospitalized after allegedly exchanging gunfire with Border Patrol agents in Arizona on Tuesday, according to the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI.
Border Patrol agents attempted to stop a pickup truck near the town of Arivaca at 7:20 a.m. local time Tuesday, DHS said in a statement. The driver "failed to yield to agents and fled on foot," the department said, then "fired at an Air and Marine Operations helicopter and fired at USBP agents."
Border Patrol agents returned fire, striking the man, DHS said. It's unclear how many times he was shot, and his condition wasn't immediately clear. DHS said the driver was treated at the scene and taken to a local hospital.
An FBI spokesperson told CBS News the agency is investigating "an alleged assault on a federal officer" near the town of Arivaca, and that the person was taken into custody.
The driver, who was only identified as a U.S. citizen, was carrying at least one firearm, a law enforcement source told CBS News.
The driver allegedly has a history of human smuggling, specifically people who are in the country illegally, and was the target of the Border Patrol operation, the source said.
The FBI is leading the federal investigation with assistance from the CBP and the Pima County Sheriff's Department. CBP has also launched an internal Office of Professional Responsibility investigation, which is standard protocol following a shooting involving its agents.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department said earlier on social media it was responding to the shooting in Arivaca, an unincorporated community about 60 miles south of Tucson, close to the U.S.-Mexico border.
"We are working in coordination with the FBI Phoenix-Tucson office and U.S. Customs and Border Protection," the sheriff's department said on social media, providing no further information.
The shooting comes on the heels of the controversial Border Patrol shooting in Minneapolis, where agents fatally shot Alex Pretti on Saturday. Videos showing the shooting do not line up with the events as described by several federal officials, including Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
