border patrol agents shooting case

Smallpotatoes · Feb 18, 2007

Every once in a while I hear something on the news about two border patrol agents who were convicted of shooting an alleged drug dealer. I don't remember hearing much about the case until recently, even though their trial was almost a year ago.
I don't know a whole lot about the case, but the prevailing opinion that I'm hearing is that these two guards should not have been convicted and the federal government has sold them out.
Does anybody know anything else about the case? Why the belong or prison or why they don't?
A jury did hear the evidence and determine they were guilty, right?

sportschick · Feb 18, 2007

I believe they shot him in the back, which means they weren't shooting in self-defense.

This isn't the Wild West. There are rules now.

Flying Headbutt · Feb 18, 2007

Except when they believe he's reaching for a gun, since those driving with nearly 800 pounds of pot don't deal like they're amish. It took the smuggler awhile, but eventually his story corroborated with some other agents. The Post had a story today about how there's a continuing push to get the two pardoned. I'm not as certain as I was before of their innocence, but I have a big problem when you offer amnesty and free health care to an admitted drug smuggler and let him change his story a few times. One of the guards in jail was up for border guard of the year at the time of the incident. To say it's cut and dry would be laziness.

Double J · Feb 18, 2007

If they'd just killed him and buried the body, there wouldn't be a problem right now.

Oz · Feb 18, 2007

It's true, that until that day, the agents had been productive employees, said Luis Barker, retired chief of the El Paso Border Patrol sector and the agents' former boss.

It's also true that the smuggler, whose urethra was severed in the shooting, was given immunity for his actions that day in exchange for his testimony. He has filed a $5 million claim with the government.

Barker understands how some might see that as a cruel twist of fate.

''But the rule of law still applies,'' he said. ''If this guy's running away and he's shot in the butt, then he's obviously not a threat. OK, 'Well, I thought he had something in his hand.' Then why didn't you tell that supervisor?

''The long and short of it is, the system worked,'' Barker said, ''as it should have.''

I was a little surprised they closed the story that way, but it was a lot to wrap up knowing some newspapers might have only so much space. Definitely worth the time to read on the wires, though.