A U.S Border Patrol agent Thursday shot and wounded a Russian citizen who appeared to be trying to enter the United States illegally from Mexico, the Border Patrol said.
The agent was trying to arrest the man just after 7:15 p.m. on the U.S.-Mexico border east of Lukeville, Ariz., Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement.
“As the agent attempted to arrest the subject, a physical altercation ensued, and the agent discharged his firearm, striking the subject,” CBP said.
BREAKING: @CBPArizona says an #Arizona border agent shot a Russian migrant during “physical altercation” on Thursday as they crossed the border illegally near Lukeville. Migrant was air lifted to #Phoenix hospital with non-life threatening injuries. pic.twitter.com/6wWr7r6O2o
— Rafael Carranza (@RafaelCarranza) November 15, 2019
The agency said the injured man was flown to a Phoenix hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The border agent was not harmed.
The FBI and the CBP Use of Force Incident Team are investigating the shooting, according to the report.