Channel 8 News / June 24, 2011
In response to a deadly Border Patrol shooting by this week in the Tijuana River Valley, Mexico’s president confronted Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over the incident, and later demanded punishment for whomever was responsible.
An investigation is underway to determine exactly where 40-year–old Jose Yanez Reyes was shot when he allegedly tried to cross the border Tuesday night into the United States.
“This is an international incident,” said immigrants rights activist Enrique Morones, founder of Border Angels.
That shooting death of a Mexican national by a U.S. border patrol agent later sparked a confrontation between Mexico’s president Felipe Calderon and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a security summit earlier this week.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon
Afterward, Calderon tweeted in Spanish, “In Guatemala I protested to Secretary Clinton about the death of the Mexican in Tijuana. I demanded punishment for those responsible.”
This call for answers has been echoed by human rights groups on both sides of the border.
“The ACLU is calling on Congress to get Border patrol to come clean on its policies and look at reforms to stop killing people needlessly,” said Kevin Keenan, president of the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties.
According to investigators, 40-year-old Jose Yanez Reyes and two other migrants allegedly crossed from Tijuana into the U.S. Tuesday night and began throwing rocks at border patrol agents, striking one of them in the head.
According to Tijuana police, Reyes was shot in the head and torso, and died in Mexico.
Border Angels and other groups that advocate for immigrants’ rights are calling for an independent investigation.
“Just imagine if it had been the other way around, the Tijuana police shooting across the border into the United States and killing a U.S. Citizen,” said Morones. “How would the U.S. be responding? So Mexico has every right to respond in a furious manner.”
“Border Patrol should be using less than lethal force, should be using different tactics,” Keenan told News 8. “They shouldn’t be taking human lives when these folks are throwing rocks.”
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
In response to Mexican president Calderon’s comments to Secretary of State Clinton, a state department spokesman said “we regret the loss of life and take any such incidents seriously.” He declined to comment on Calderon’s interaction with Clinton.
The name of the border patrol agent who shot Reyes has not been released, although San Diego police have identified him as a three-year-veteran of the agency.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
So a guy crossing the border illegally is throwing rocks and other debris at Border Patrol agents, striking one in the head and wounding him badly enough that he had to be taken to a hospital for examination, but the Border Patrol agents aren’t allowed to protect themselves?
Here’s an idea: If you don’t want Border Patrol agents to have to resort to deadly force, DON’T THROW ROCKS AT THEM! Rocks are deadly weapons too…….
Border Patrol agents have a thankless job. I’m sorry that this man was killed, but frankly, if I had to deal with mobs throwing rocks at me every day, eventually I would use my gun to protect myself.
Sorry but no matter what side of the issue one is on illegal immigration and border security, it’s not a bright idea to throw rocks at the BP. Also, I don’t believe for a SECOND Mex Prez Calderon really give a rat’s ass about the person shot. If he really really cares so much he would be taking steps to improve Mexico to where its own citizens wouldn’t want to leave in the first place. It’s just political grandstanding and nothing more.
I wonder if the above rationalizations regarding the use of deadly force will hold when a white homeless person like Daniel Woodyard is killed by the cops in OB.
Whose responsible? The first belligerent act because belligerence breeds belligerence. And at the root of the first belligerent act? No respect. Where ever you stand on the issue or your analysis of how the border was drawn I believe we all can accept that those who crash the border do not respect the border. And that disrespect is repaid in kind. To take a side is to embrace that first belligerent act and support continued violence.
Disproportional force? Ask Goliath about the rock David hurled.
At least in this instance law enforcement has laid out the irrefutable facts for every one. Now we can just get back to looking for those wanted drones.
it’s never cool to return thrown rocks with live bullets. totally disproportionate. look, the agents do have non-lethal forms of self-defense – why can’t they use them? rock throwing at the border has been a national past time for many borders – not just here. sure, rocks can do damage – that’s what helmets and shields are for. the immigrants have no self-protection whatsoever. the agents know that rock throwing is part of the scene at the sd-tj border. it’s the way it is. and don’t start bringing up the david – goliath thing because you’ve got it twisted around. david is represented by the immigrants climbing over the wall, and goliath is the sum of the border agents.
Many moons ago, I was at the Collier Park riot in 1971 where hundreds of OB youth and local college students threw rocks at the cops. Good thing the cops didn’t return the rock throwing with live ammunition, or we would have been commemorating more than a picnic a couple of months ago.
Just to be clear, I did not throw rocks.
HUH?YOU’VE BEEN PILE DRIVED INTO THE SANDY BOTTOM ONCE TO OFTEN.
Instead of responding with live ammo, the heat responded with harrassment,repression and court cases. I guess being un-ventilated has it’s plusses,but those felony court cases hurt for a long time.
PULL OUT ALL THE TROOPS FROM OVERSEAS POLICE ACTIONS BRING THEM HOME,GIVE THEM A BREAK……….THEN PUT THEM ON THE BOARDER FULLY LOCKED AND LOADED….FIRST ROCK THROWN OPEN UP…..TRUST ME THE ROCK THROWING WOULD COME TO A SCREECHING HALT.FOLKS IF YOU WANT TO TRULY BE FREE AND SAFE IN THIS COUNTRY IT’S TIME TO GROW A SET.(NOT YOU GIRLS,JUST YOU LITTLE BOYS)……..