A Border Patrol agent stationed in the Big Bend Sector of West Texas shot and injured a 22-year-old Guatemalan man late Tuesday night after federal immigration officials say the agent was "attacked."
In a press release, Border Patrol says the incident occurred following a vehicle stop along an isolated stretch of highway in West Texas. The exact details about what happened remain limited, as officials have yet to answer Marfa Public Radio's request for additional information.
According to what has been released, the incident happened in Dryden, Texas — about an hour south of Fort Stockton. At that time, 10 individuals who were in the vehicle reportedly tried to run away from the officer. During this time, Border Patrol says one of these men, a 22-year-old from Guatemala, “attacked the agent.” It's not clear how the Guatemalan attacked the officer, whether he was armed, or whether the agent was alone at the time.
Officials say, the Border Patrol agent then "discharged his firearm" and the Guatemalan man sustained "a non-life-threatening injury." In a post on Facebook, the Terrell County Sheriff's Office — which patrols the sparsely-populated county where this took place — said the 22-year-old was shot twice.
"The other subjects then fled on foot. The area is the scene of an active manhunt for the outstanding subjects," a TCSO official wrote on Facebook.
The Border Patrol agent and the Guatemalan man were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, although it's not clear what's the extent of their injuries.
Border Patrol plans to conduct an internal investigation of the incident.
This is a developing story and this post will be updated as more information is available.
