Sergio Adrian Hernandez Huereca lies mortally wounded after being shot by US. Border Patrol Agent. Photo El Pueblo
The use of a firearm in response to rock-throwing is "disproportionate use of force" resulting in death, Mexican Chihuahua state officials say.
By H. Nelson Goodson
June 8, 2010
El Paso, Texas - On Monday, U.S. Border Patrol agents on bicycles patrolling along the Paso Del Norte bridge, just across from Ciudad Juarez encountered a rock throwing group. One of the agents fired his .40 Caliber handgun at the group shortly after 6:30 p.m. killing Sergio Adrian Hernandez Huereca, 14. The weapon is a standard issued weapon for the U.S. Border Patrol.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched an investigation into the fatal incident, because a federal agent was allegedly assaulted in the incident, according to FBI Spokeswoman Andrea Simmons. Federal officials say, border patrol agents were responding to a call that a group of teenagers had entered the U.S. illegally through an opening in the border fence, and the group began to throw rocks at the agents when they were encountered.
A witness said, she saw the incident when it happened. She told reporters that the youths were trying to cross the border. When they encountered the agents, the group ran back into Mexico. One of the agents was able to apprehend one of the youths. While he struggled with the youth, a youth from the group in Mexico's side began to throw rocks at the agent, but missed.
This agent, who had the second subject detained on the ground, gave verbal commands to the remaining subjects to stop and retreat. However, the subjects surrounded the agent and continued to throw rocks at him. The agent then fired his service weapon several times, striking one subject who later died, according to the FBI.
The area where Huereca was killed is known for rock-throwing incidents aimed at border patrol agents.
The witness told reporters at the scene, she didn't see any of the agents getting hit or injured and couldn't confirm, if the youth killed was actually the one throwing rocks. The witness couldn't understand why the agent had shot at the youth, since his life was not in immediate danger or had been hit or injured by the rock-throwing.
Another witness said, the youth was behind one of the bridge pillars in Mexico's side of the border and he leaned over to look and the agent shot at him. The youth seemed to get stunned and then the agent shot at him again and apparently was fatally shot in the head, according to the witness.
Two other youths identified as Oscar Ivan Pineda Ayala and Augustin Alcaraz Reyes were arrested by agents in the incident.
The use of deadly force is being questioned by the Mexican Chihuahua state officials and are demanding a full investigation.
"We energetically condemn the death of a minor near the international border crossing in Ciudad Juarez...Using firearms to respond to an attack with rocks is a disproportionate use of force, particularly coming from officials that received specialized training" to similar confrontations, the Mexican Foreign Ministry (SRE) said in a statement.
The agent involved in the shooting was put on paid administrative leave pending the investigation, according to Lou Patch, a Supervisor for the Border Patrol Communications unit in El Paso.
Spanish News video shows U.S. Border agent arriving on bicycle, confronts two youths and then drags a youth on U.S. side of border, other youths flee back into Mexico's border side. The border patrol agent then shoots his weapon multiple times at youths, in Mexico, afterwards one youth lies dead in Mexico's side beside a bridge pillar. Clearly, cell phone video shot by a witness on a bridge shows the agent not surrounded by illegal immigrants trying to cross into U.S., contradicting the FBI's version that the agent involved was surrounded.
Condena la SRE la muerte de un menor en las inmediaciones del Puente Internacional Paso de Norte, en Ciudad Juárez: http://bit.ly/9pvx02
News video in Spanish/Noticia en Español sobre muerte del joven por agente de fuerza fronteriza
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The use of a firearm in response to rock-throwing is "disproportionate use of force" resulting in death, Mexican Chihuahua state officials say.
By H. Nelson Goodson
June 8, 2010
El Paso, Texas - On Monday, U.S. Border Patrol agents on bicycles patrolling along the Paso Del Norte bridge, just across from Ciudad Juarez encountered a rock throwing group. One of the agents fired his .40 Caliber handgun at the group shortly after 6:30 p.m. killing Sergio Adrian Hernandez Huereca, 14. The weapon is a standard issued weapon for the U.S. Border Patrol.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched an investigation into the fatal incident, because a federal agent was allegedly assaulted in the incident, according to FBI Spokeswoman Andrea Simmons. Federal officials say, border patrol agents were responding to a call that a group of teenagers had entered the U.S. illegally through an opening in the border fence, and the group began to throw rocks at the agents when they were encountered.
A witness said, she saw the incident when it happened. She told reporters that the youths were trying to cross the border. When they encountered the agents, the group ran back into Mexico. One of the agents was able to apprehend one of the youths. While he struggled with the youth, a youth from the group in Mexico's side began to throw rocks at the agent, but missed.
This agent, who had the second subject detained on the ground, gave verbal commands to the remaining subjects to stop and retreat. However, the subjects surrounded the agent and continued to throw rocks at him. The agent then fired his service weapon several times, striking one subject who later died, according to the FBI.
The area where Huereca was killed is known for rock-throwing incidents aimed at border patrol agents.
The witness told reporters at the scene, she didn't see any of the agents getting hit or injured and couldn't confirm, if the youth killed was actually the one throwing rocks. The witness couldn't understand why the agent had shot at the youth, since his life was not in immediate danger or had been hit or injured by the rock-throwing.
Another witness said, the youth was behind one of the bridge pillars in Mexico's side of the border and he leaned over to look and the agent shot at him. The youth seemed to get stunned and then the agent shot at him again and apparently was fatally shot in the head, according to the witness.
Two other youths identified as Oscar Ivan Pineda Ayala and Augustin Alcaraz Reyes were arrested by agents in the incident.
The use of deadly force is being questioned by the Mexican Chihuahua state officials and are demanding a full investigation.
"We energetically condemn the death of a minor near the international border crossing in Ciudad Juarez...Using firearms to respond to an attack with rocks is a disproportionate use of force, particularly coming from officials that received specialized training" to similar confrontations, the Mexican Foreign Ministry (SRE) said in a statement.
The agent involved in the shooting was put on paid administrative leave pending the investigation, according to Lou Patch, a Supervisor for the Border Patrol Communications unit in El Paso.
Spanish News video shows U.S. Border agent arriving on bicycle, confronts two youths and then drags a youth on U.S. side of border, other youths flee back into Mexico's border side. The border patrol agent then shoots his weapon multiple times at youths, in Mexico, afterwards one youth lies dead in Mexico's side beside a bridge pillar. Clearly, cell phone video shot by a witness on a bridge shows the agent not surrounded by illegal immigrants trying to cross into U.S., contradicting the FBI's version that the agent involved was surrounded.
Condena la SRE la muerte de un menor en las inmediaciones del Puente Internacional Paso de Norte, en Ciudad Juárez: http://bit.ly/9pvx02
News video in Spanish/Noticia en Español sobre muerte del joven por agente de fuerza fronteriza
Connected by MOTOBLUR™ on T-Mobile
There’s a petition to the Whitehouse to demand an independent investigation regarding the killing of Sergio Hernandez, please go to this link and submit…only takes 2 minutes! http://bit.ly/aILeCU
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