Man Shot By Border Patrol In Arizona Was Convicted Human Trafficker Who Allegedly Shot First

Update (1235ET): Turns out that the man who was shot by border patrol yesterday in Arizona was a convicted human smuggler who fled incarceration, and allegedly fired first at a federal helicopter near the US-Mexico border, according to authorities. 

TL;DR

• Guy is convicted of human smuggling in 2023
• Checks out of jail for a counseling appointment, never returns
• Warrant issued, border patrol finds him in a truck
• Guy flees, crashes truck, throws rocks at helicopter, then shoots at helicopter (allegedly)
• Border patrol shoots back, hitting guy

And now, the long version: 

Federal agents were attempting to apprehend the 34-year-old Arizona man during a traffic stop near Arivaca, Arizona, when he fled and shot at a Border Patrol helicopter and at agents, authorities said. Agents returned fire, striking the man and wounding him, said Heith Janke, special agent in charge of the FBI in Phoenix.

The suspect, Patrick Gary Schlegel, was transported to a hospital and was recovering from surgery Tuesday evening, authorities said. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said during a news conference that he believes the Border Patrol agent involved in the shooting “acted lawfully” based on what is known so far. –AP

Prior to the shooting, agents attempted to stop the vehicle, but it drove away (lol what?). Later that morning, a Border Patrol agent saw the vehicle in the same area and attempted to stop it before the driver fled on foot. 

Schlegel’s rap sheet includes a December warrant for escape stemming from a human trafficking and firearms conviction, according to court records cited by AP. On Dec. 15, he signed out of an institution in Tuscon where he had been incarcerated to go to a counseling session and then never came back.

In 2023, Schlegel was charged with transporting people in the US illegally for financial gain in Arizona after over a dozen people were found loaded into a truck and hidden under a tarp near the border, court records show. 

*  *  *

A person is in critical condition following a shooting incident early Tuesday morning in Pima County, Arizona. 

Emergency responders from the Santa Rita Fire District (SRFD) and American Medical Response arrived on the scene around 7:30 a.m., where they found one individual in custody who was in critical condition, KVOA reports.

First responders provided immediate medical care before the patient was transferred to a local medical helicopter, which took the person to a regional trauma center. 

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI are assisting in the investigation.

Stay tuned for updates…