Posted on Jun 2, 2023
Relatives want to know why the Border Patrol killed a man in Arizona
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A relative of a Native American man who was killed by Border Patrol agents near the Arizona-Mexico border two weeks ago said she was talking to him moments before he was shot and he told her he had contacted the Border Patrol earlier in the evening to ask for help.
But the relative said none of the law enforcement agencies investigating the May 18 shooting death of Raymond Mattia has asked her or any other family members for information, and Customs and Border Protection’s official statement about the incident makes no mention of a call from Mattia.
The relative said that she has been pressing law enforcement for information about the shooting since it happened, without success — and that the family was not even allowed to approach his body for hours. “I asked that night: ‘We want to talk to someone. What happened to Ray? We need answers,’” said the relative, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation by law enforcement.
But the relative said none of the law enforcement agencies investigating the May 18 shooting death of Raymond Mattia has asked her or any other family members for information, and Customs and Border Protection’s official statement about the incident makes no mention of a call from Mattia.
The relative said that she has been pressing law enforcement for information about the shooting since it happened, without success — and that the family was not even allowed to approach his body for hours. “I asked that night: ‘We want to talk to someone. What happened to Ray? We need answers,’” said the relative, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation by law enforcement.
Relatives want to know why the Border Patrol killed a man in Arizona
Posted from nbcnews.comPosted in these groups: State of Arizona
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Mexico
Immigration
Native Americans
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Mexico Immigration Native Americans
Posted 11 mo ago
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The border has been dangerous for some time now, I think people are to the point they are unable to distinguish who is and who isn’t legal. There are several places in Mexico where travel is dangerous.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
Maj Kim Patterson Obviously Reporting Problem Immigrants can be Hazardous to Your Health because CBP Can't Tell Who is and Who Isn't the Problem.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."The incident may further corrode trust between the Border Patrol and the Tohono O’odham Nation.
“My uncle didn’t deserve to die like this,” Yvonne Nevarez, Mattia’s niece, told The Arizona Republic. “After this happened, we feel like we can’t trust [the Border Patrol] to come when there’s issues.”
According to Mattia’s relative, who rushed to the site of the shooting, a Tohono O’odham police officer blocked family members from seeing his body. She said that the officer told them to go home but that the family members told the officers they needed to stay with their brother and bless his body. She said they did not see Mattia until he was in a body bag on his way to the medical examiner. The Tohono O’odham Police Department did not respond to a request for comment about why the family was blocked from seeing Mattia.
“We said our goodbyes while he was in a body bag,” the relative said. “The elders said it was very disrespectful.”
The next morning, the relative said, all the crime scene tape around Mattia’s house had been removed, but no law enforcement officers or agents came to speak with the family about what happened.
“It looked like the whole investigation was over,” the relative said. “But no one ever came to talk to us.”
Last weekend, the family organized two protests outside Border Patrol stations in Tucson and near the Tohono O’odham Nation Reservation to demand answers about Mattia’s death. "
..."The incident may further corrode trust between the Border Patrol and the Tohono O’odham Nation.
“My uncle didn’t deserve to die like this,” Yvonne Nevarez, Mattia’s niece, told The Arizona Republic. “After this happened, we feel like we can’t trust [the Border Patrol] to come when there’s issues.”
According to Mattia’s relative, who rushed to the site of the shooting, a Tohono O’odham police officer blocked family members from seeing his body. She said that the officer told them to go home but that the family members told the officers they needed to stay with their brother and bless his body. She said they did not see Mattia until he was in a body bag on his way to the medical examiner. The Tohono O’odham Police Department did not respond to a request for comment about why the family was blocked from seeing Mattia.
“We said our goodbyes while he was in a body bag,” the relative said. “The elders said it was very disrespectful.”
The next morning, the relative said, all the crime scene tape around Mattia’s house had been removed, but no law enforcement officers or agents came to speak with the family about what happened.
“It looked like the whole investigation was over,” the relative said. “But no one ever came to talk to us.”
Last weekend, the family organized two protests outside Border Patrol stations in Tucson and near the Tohono O’odham Nation Reservation to demand answers about Mattia’s death. "
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
SGT (Join to see) Just Like the Family I'd Love to Have "More Information" I'm wondering if He was armed? Agitated Old Man with a Firearm and Law Enforcement Responds? That is always a Situation Fraught with Problems.
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We have made the situation impossible for the border patrol. I expect to see similar incidents with the Guard deployment
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