By Steve Neavling
Ticklethewire.com

A Border Patrol agent on trial in the 2012 fatal shooting of a teenager across the Mexican border testified Monday that he shot through a fence in Nogales because he was protecting himself and his fellow law enforcement officers.

Lonnie Swartz, who is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 16-year-old Elena Rodriguez, testified Monday that he opened fire after a group of rock-throwers from Mexico struck a fellow agent, Tucson.com reports.

Prosecutors said Swartz fired 16 shots, striking the teenager 10 times, including eight times in the back and twice in the head.

Swartz testified for more than two hours, telling the jury that he heard rocks striking the fence and that a fellow agent had been injured. He added that an alleged drug smuggler, whom the rock-throwers were said to be protecting, had a large knife in his pocket.

“I was scared, scared to be hit by a rock, (scared) for my partner,” Swartz said. “I had to act quickly. I only had seconds to stop the threat.”

But the fellow agent testified earlier that he was not injured and that a rock rolled onto his foot.

The NSA headquarters in Maryland.

By Steve Neavling
Ticklethewire.com

At least three people, including a police officer, were shot this morning near NSA headquarters in Maryland, and one suspect is in custody, according to local media reports.

The shooting broke out around 7:15 a.m. near the visitor’s gate at Fort Meade, Fox 5 reports. 

None of the injuries appears to be life-threatening, WBAL reports. 

Route 32, which is adjacent to the headquarters, was closed both ways.

The FBI is on the scene.

Details were still murky at 8:45 a.m.

By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com

An FBI agent shot and wounded a man during a confrontation Monday in the Sun Valley neighborhood in Los Angeles, KABC reports.

The shooting occurred while executing a search warrant around 5:40 a.m. in the 10300 block of Horse Haven Street. The identity of the person shot was not immediately disclosed.

The agent discharged the gun during an altercation with the person.

Photo via FBI

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

The ATF and FBI have joined the hunt for a suspect in the fatal shooting of a rookie cop in Pennsylvania.

An arrest warrant has been issued for 29-year-old Rahmael Sal Holt, who is accused of killing New Kensington Officer Brian Shaw during a traffic stop Friday night, KDKA/AP reports.

Holt has a lengthy criminal record, ranging from assault to carrying a firearm without a license.

The 25-year-old rookie officer was chasing Holt on foot when the cop was shot in the chest. 

The FBI, U.S. Marshall’s Service and ATF contributed a combined $40,000 in reward money for the capture of Holt.

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Body cam footage of the shooting death of Patrick Harmon.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

A Utah prosecutor is urging the FBI to investigate a white police officer who shot and killed a black man who was stopped on his bicycle for crossing traffic without the required rear light.

Dramatic body cam footage of the Aug. 13 shooting shows Salt Lake Police Officer Clinton Fox yelling, “I’ll (expletive) shoot you” before firing his gun at 50-year-old Patrick Harmon from behind.

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill ruled the shooting was justified, saying Harmon initially turned toward officers after threatening he had a knife, which was not discernible in the video. A knife was later found at the scene, according to police.

But Harmon’s family and civil rights activists applauded the decision to involve the FBI, saying the district attorney should resign for defending the officer.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

A San Diego federal judge defended Border Patrol’s use of deadly force against rock throwers in a case involving a lawsuit filed by the family of a Mexican man killed at the border.

Border Patrol Agent Dorian Diaz fatally shot Jesus Yanez Reyes, 40, while he allegedly was throwing rocks at agents who were pursuing him.

U.S. District Judge William Hayes ruled last week that Border Patrol agents should not be held liable for Reyes’ death, the Los Angeles Times reports. 

“The Court concludes that the unique circumstances surrounding Yañez’s death implicate national security issues related to the security of our nation’s borders,” Hayes said.

Hayes also said Diaz is entitled to qualified immunity.

Lawyers for Reyes’ family plan to appeal.

“We feel strongly the law was clearly established on this point,” said attorney Gerald Singleton.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents were involved in a fatal shooting after two high-speed chases, several exchanges of gunfire and the hijacking of a commercial truck in Arizona.

The shooting suspect was killed after firing his weapon numerous times at law enforcement officials.

The violence began at 12:56 a.m., when a state trooper pulled over a Ford Mustang for a traffic violation, KSWT reports. The front-seat passenger shot at a trooper and then fled with the Mustang along I-10.

After a 6-mile chase, the Mustang stopped before the suspect fired at Border Patrol agents, fled on foot and hijacked a commercial truck.

The suspect drove the truck along I-10 before exiting, exchanging fire with law enforcement and heading toward Main Street, where the vehicle stopped.

The suspect and law enforcement exchanged fire. The suspect was struck by a bulett and later died.

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James T. Hodgkinson was killed by police after he shot four people at a congressional baseball game.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

Before firing 60 rounds from a rifle and handgun at an unwitting group of Republican lawmakers and staffers who were practice baseball in Alexandria, Va., James T. Hodgkinson had been living in his van in the parking lot of the YMCA on the outskirts of Washington D.C.

Struggling with his marriage, anger management problems and a beef against Republicans, the unemployed home inspector from Illinois approached the baseball players and asked, “Is this the Republican or Democrat baseball team?”

Soon after the encounter, the 66-year-old retrieved a 7.62-caliber SKS rifle and 9mm handgun from his van before returning and calmly and deliberately opening fire at the lawmakers and their staff.

U.S. Capitol Police special agents and officers from Alexandria returned fire, killing the gunman.

Five people were wounded, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., who is in fair condition at the hospital after multiple emergency surgeries.

On Wednesday, the FBI revealed details of a troubled Hodgkinson who had long-simmering hatred for Republicans.

“While the shooter was known to have a history of diagnosed mental illness, he is known, or it was known, to have an anger management problem,” Timothy R. Slater, FBI special agent in charge, said at a press conference Wednesday. “He was struggling in all kinds of different ways.” 

The FBI still doesn’t know why Hodgkinson was in the area, and agents believe he acted alone and that the shooting was spontaneous.