A man was shot early Sunday morning near the U.S.-Mexico border after allegedly knocking a Border Patrol agent off his ATV with a rock and stealing the vehicle.
Agents encountered the man around 2:30 a.m. in an area known as Spooner’s Mesa between the U.S.-Mexico border and Monument Road, San Diego police Homicide Captain Thomas Underwood told Fox 5 San Diego.
“In the course of that contact a fight ensued, and an agent was knocked off his ATV with a rock,” he said. “The suspect then jumped onto the agent’s ATV and a pursuit ensued where the suspect eventually lost control, crashed and was taken into custody. During the incident at least two Border Patrol agents fired their weapons at the suspect."
"The suspect has a non-life threatening, at least one gunshot wound," Underwood stated.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) issued a statement on Sunday indicating that Border Patrol agents were “assaulted by an individual” and that they "discharged their service issued weapons, striking the subject."
CBP notes that the individual was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. CBP did not indicate the legal status of the individual.
The suspect has not yet been identified by authorities but is believed to be 19 years old. San Diego Police Capt. Thomas Underwood only described him to Fox 5 as a “Hispanic man.”
No Border Patrol agents were seriously injured.
The incident is under investigation by the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) and the FBI.
The SDPD homicide detectives are leading the investigation because the incident happened within city limits.
According to CBP statistics for Fiscal Year To-Date 2018 (FYTD18), there have been no other incidents involving use of a firearm by Border Patrol agents in the San Diego sector and 11 total for all sectors in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
This story is developing.
For more, watch the Fox 5 news report below.