Posted on 09/16/2004 10:16:04 PM PDT by Conservative Firster
TWO VIDEO LINKS ON RIGHT HAND SIDE PLAYLIST!!
An FBI agent shot an acquaintance of a border watch group member while trying to serve an arrest warrant, FBI officials said Thursday.
The shooting happened about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday in a grocery store parking lot in Douglas along the southeastern Arizona border with Mexico.
According to the FBI, the agent was trying to serve an arrest warrant on Casey Nethercott of Douglas. Nethercott is a known member of Ranch Rescue, a group that works to protect private property along the southern U.S. border.
Ranch Rescue and several other unauthorized groups have been patrolling along the border looking for illegal immigrants, raising concerns among migrants rights groups about potential abuses.
At the time, Nethercott was with 22-year-old Kalen Riddle, also of Douglas.
Charlene Thornton, special agent in charge of the Phoenix FBI office, said that "actions taken by Nethercott and Riddle led one of the FBI agents to fire his weapon."
The FBI would not elaborate and said it won't release the name of the agent who fired the shot, in keeping with FBI policy.
Riddle was airlifted to a Tucson hospital, but FBI officials did not know his condition.
Nethercott was arrested Wednesday and is in federal custody. An FBI spokeswoman confirmed agents searched Nethercott's Douglas ranch on Thursday afternoon.
The warrant the FBI was trying to serve alleges that Nethercott threatened Border Patrol agents.
According to the warrant, Nethercott refused to pull over for Border Patrol agents on Aug. 31. After a slow-speed chase, the warrant said that Nethercott entered "a compound in Douglas occupied by members of Ranch Rescue." Riddle was identified as one of the people there.
Agents said the Ranch Rescue members were heavily armed and had night vision equipment.
After Border Patrol agents yelled for Nethercott to show his hands, the affidavit says Nethercott refused, and responded:
"I'm going to take care of this myself, we're going to have a shootout."
The affidavit does not say how the standoff ended.
There was no listing for Riddle in Douglas. A phone message left Thursday at a residence listed for Nethercott was not returned.
Nethercott, 37, has a criminal record. He was convicted of assault with a firearm in California and was on parole when he joined Ranch Rescue.
In June, he was also found guilty by a Texas jury of felony firearm possession. The jury was deadlocked on a second charge that accused Nethercott of pistol-whipping an illegal immigrant near a Texas ranch.
Douglas rancher Roger Barnett, who is not part of Ranch Rescue, supports the measures Nethercott took to stop illegal immigration.
He compared the shooting of Riddle to Branch Davidians, who fought federal agents in Waco, Texas.
"Citizens have to get out and protect themselves," Barnett said. "And this is what it leads to."
SO MUCH FOR BUSH'S "OWNERSHIP SOCIETY".
I GUESS RANCHES ONLY IN CRAWFORD TEXAS ARE PRIVATE PROPERTY.
Hate to say it, this is the one thing that forces me to hold my nose while voting for Bush. I love everything else about him, but immigration drives me bonkers. I pray that he takes a turn to the right after being reelected.
hmmm... I think you mistook this place for the Liberty Post.
"The ranch was heavily armed."
So, you're OK with:
- Huge increases in vote-buying Federal spending, like the "free" pills for Greedy Geezers?
- The full-frontal assault on the First Amendment and free political speech?
- Continuing attempts to squish the few "loopholes" that allow 527s like the Swift Boat Vets to speak out?
- Cozying up to Fat Teddy Kennedy on so-called "education"?
etc. etc.
ping
No, not okay with those either. Signing CFR got me angry too.
You misread the fine print that said it was an ownership society for Mexico.
So why has there been zero pressure on Bush to shape up? "Praying" for him to reform after he's reelected is far too late. He needs to be scared of losing his job now.
Conservatives need to extract promises to cut spending, stop the attacks on the First Amendment and fix the illegal aliens now.
Otherwise, he'll be the same RINO he's been for 4 years. Mark my words; if he coasts to reelection, watch deficits and illegals explode in numbers.
I'm not going to assume the government was the bad guy in this mess. Although I appreciate what the militias in southern AZ are trying to accomplish, they have to be careful they don't turn into vigilante organizations. Let's wait for the facts -- we turn into DU-style blame America firsters.
Interesting how the Mexican drug cartels can pretty much do as they please -- the other week some Mexicans came over and executed a guy at a Whattaburger and the FBI nor police can do anything about it. An American protecting private property though -- and they'll be there right away.
I agree with you on the issue of immigration. I just don't get that part of his plan.
This is incredible. The FBI attacking people defending their property from criminal alians. I'm supporting Bush because Kerry is even worse. We need to mount an intense campaign to put pressure on Bush to do somthing about the border. The present situation is disgraceful.
>>The trick will be pressuring Congress to rein him in and then preparing for a knock-down-drag-out in 2008 to make sure a true conservative is nominated.<<
You are a Dreamer, a good one too!
Ditto, hold your nose and vote for Bush... unless it gets too bad on the immigration front.
Sounds like a replay on the election with "read my lips, no new taxes" and Bush I.
Some day there'll be a 3rd party that supports Western Civilization and is against illegal immigration. Then the new-style Republicans will be in trouble.
All the conservatives will bolt.
Hoppy
I'm sick to my stomach.
A migrant's rights organization has just triumphed over a private property owner, and the people he asked to help him protect his land.
This can't be allowed to continue.
My prayers to the families involved. Very sorry for your loss.
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