A man beating a border patrol agent with a wooden club was shot to death near Las Cruces, New Mexico, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
At 8:37 p.m. April 2, a man behind the wheel of a white Nissan Rogue blew past a border patrol checkpoint on Interstate 10, and agents chased after him, CBP’s El Paso Sector said in an April 8 news release.
The driver led agents on a miles-long chase through rural roads, which finally ended after he hit a “vehicle immobilization device” that popped three of his tires, officials said.
He drove about three more miles on flats before getting out and walking, according to the release.
Three agents were following the man, ordering him to stop, officials said, but he kept walking away from them, a shirt in one hand and a wooden club in the other.
One agent tried twice to use a taser on the suspect, but he used his shirt like a shield and blocked the taser’s prongs both times, the release said.
Meanwhile, another agent arrived at the scene and approached the man with his baton at the ready, officials said.
The suspect swung at the agent, who blocked the first strike with his baton, officials said. He swung again as he moved toward the agent, causing him to fall on his back, according to the release.
Standing over the agent, he kept swinging, officials said. He is accused of hitting the agent twice and preparing to bring the club down for a third blow when fellow agents opened fire on the suspect.
Around 16 shots were fired and the suspect hit the ground a few feet away from the agent he was attacking, officials said.
An agent at the scene attempted life-saving measures while others called for an ambulance, according to the release.
“Agents did not observe any movement or signs of life from the driver,” the release said. He was declared dead at 5:16 a.m. April 3 by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator.