Two agents opened fire on a suspect at the U.S./Mexico border after he tried to enter into the U.S. illegally and rammed a pick-up truck, police said.
The non-fatal shooting shut down some northbound lanes at the San Ysidro Port of Entry for hours Saturday, according to officials.
At approximately 8:50 a.m. a lone man in his 50s driving a Tahoe Chevrolet was asked to provide identification at the checkpoint, Lt. Kevin Rooney said. He told an agent that he left his driver’s license in a hotel room in San Ysidro and provided a non-valid form of identification.
The man was told to pull over. Instead he accelerated and attempted to cross the checkpoint illegally, ramming into a Ford F-150 in the northern lane, Rooney said. No one in that vehicle was injured.
The man put his vehicle in reverse and drove backwards about 150 feet until he hit the middle retaining wall and became stuck. U.S. Customs officers surrounded him and two of them opened fire. They were able to take him into custody.
The man had a single gunshot wound and was taken to a trauma unit. His injuries are non-life threatening.
Police say the suspect did not fire a weapon during the incident.
