Border Patrol Probes Shots Fired at Crowd

Four U.S. Border Patrol officers fired at people in a group of 30 who were pelting them with fist-sized stones last weekend after the officers had seized a truck carrying $2.8 million worth of marijuana from Mexico, authorities said.

Rogelio Hernandez of Tijuana was wounded by the gunfire and was treated at a Tijuana hospital, according to an Associated Press report. It’s unclear how Hernandez was involved in the incident, which occurred Saturday night and remains under investigation.

The officers followed a Chevrolet pickup truck at 8 p.m. Saturday when it crossed the border with its headlights out about a half mile east of the Otay Mesa border crossing, U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Steven Kean said.

When the officers tried to stop the truck on Otay Mesa Road, the driver made a U-turn and fled toward Mexico, Kean said. Officers were able to flatten the truck’s tires by driving a strip of hollow spikes into the road, he said.

The pickup got stuck in the dirt and the driver and the passenger ran across the border, Kean said.

Inside the truck, officers found 1,432 pounds of marijuana with a street value of $2.8 million, Kean said.

While the officers were attempting to tow the truck, a group of about 30 people emerged from the border area and began throwing rocks at them, he said.

The attack continued for about 15 minutes, with the crowd becoming progressively more violent, Kean said. Three of the officers were struck by rocks, one was hit on the side of the head just below the temple, and two were struck in the chest, but were not seriously hurt, he said.

In an attempt to disperse the crowd, officers launched one can of tear gas, which was ineffective.

At about 8:30 p.m., four of the six officers drew their handguns when the group came closer, Kean said. The officers ordered the group to stop. When the pelting continued, the officers fired at specific individuals in the group, Kean said. The attack ceased and the group went back to Mexico, he said.

“The officers exercised as much restraint as they could,” Kean said. “They fired when they were in danger of grievous bodily harm.”

Kean said authorities don’t know how close the crowd was to the officers, “but it was close enough for them to strike the agents.” Authorities are investigating the number of rounds fired, Kean said.