By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
A Border Patrol agent was justified when he fatally shot a 20-year-old Canadian who crossed the border illegally in March and sprayed the agent with bear spray, the Associated Press reports.
Whatcom County Prosecutor Dave McEachran said the agent did everything he could to avoid a fatal encounter with Jamison Edward Childress, retreating and warning the man that he would be shot if he deployed the beer spray.
Canadian police were looking for the man from Prince George, British Columbia, because he was wanted on murder charges.
When confronted at a border near Sumas, Washington, he reportedly screamed, “Kill me!” at officers.
A responding agent retreated but had run out of places to go, according to the report.
“The officer was sprayed before he fired,” McEachran said. “The officers could see this huge cloud sprayed. It was coming right at his face, he shot his gun at that point, then was overcome by the spray.”
Two shots were fired. One bullet was recovered in the autopsy.
