Anita Snow, Associated Press
1 hour ago
WARNING: Graphic video
PHOENIX (Associated Press) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the tribesman it shot dead last month may have had a handgun when he was encountered in a remote corner of Tohono Odum, a border agent said. He released body camera footage showing his concerns. A country in southern Arizona.
A man, Raymond Mattia, 58, died shortly after. shooting Outside a home in the Menajazdam community on a reservation near the U.S.-Mexico border on the evening of May 18. The phone calls included in the video corroborate earlier reports by the department that the Tohono Odham Nation Police Department sought the assistance of investigators following a call to the shooting.
A video released late Thursday shows Mattia throwing a sheathed machete at the tribal official’s feet and extending her arm, actions CBP referred to in an earlier incident report. The timestamp lists his time as early May 19th when the incident occurred, but the time has been adjusted to -0400. This is 4 hours behind UTC and the same as EST.
After Mattia was shot and fell to the ground, investigators declared, “He still has the gun in his hand.”
The footage also shows several officers repeatedly asking if anyone had found the firearm as they handcuffed Mattia. There was no sign of a handgun being found.
CBP earlier said the three border agents who fired the shots and at least seven others at the scene were wearing body cameras that were activated during the shooting. The agent involved in the shooting is on paid leave.
The Pima County coroner’s office released a separate lab report on Friday, saying Mattia had nine gunshot wounds. An accompanying toxicology report found Mattia had a high blood alcohol level and the presence of drugs such as amphetamines and oxycodone in her system.
of FBI and the Tohono O’Dum Nation An investigation into the shooting is underway, but has not released any results. The shooting is also being investigated by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility.
CBP said no air ambulance was available to take Mattia to hospital due to bad weather, and despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene after consulting with doctors at a hospital in Tucson. It says.
CBP announced that it has distributed approximately 7,000 body cameras to government workplaces under a program that began in August 2021.
This year, the company has released body camera footage of multiple shootings involving agents, most recently on April 2 near Las Cruces, New Mexico.
In the incident, investigators did not stop and passed through a checkpoint, leading a chase of about 23 miles (37 km) before shooting the alleged chasing man dead with a wooden club.
