The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the death of Raymond Mattia, a tribal member in Arizona after US Border Patrol agents He will be shot Thursday, authorities said. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said agents from the Ajo Border Patrol Station shot the man around 10 p.m. local time on the Tohono O’odham reservation near Ajo, Arizona.
The shooting is under review by Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility, authorities said. Police from the Tohono O’odham Nation are also investigating. No additional information has been released and neither have the FBI and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for more information.
The member of the Tohono O’odham Nation called Border Patrol because there were ‘illegal migrants’ on his property, the family said. Tohono O’odham Nation tribal chairman Ned Norris Jr. said the shooting occurred in the Meneger’s Dam community.
According to Mattia’s family, he called Border Patrol because there were “multiple illegal immigrants trespassing in his yard and he wanted help getting them off his property,” they told the local station. When officers arrived, the family said, Mattia got out and was shot.
“Our hearts go out to his family and all those affected during this difficult time,” Norris said in a news release posted to Facebook. “As the investigation progresses, the Nation expects full consideration of all the facts related to the incident and an appropriate and prompt response from the relevant public safety agencies.”
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