FBI: Friendly fire likely in border shootings

[No Elephants]

Oct 5, 11:22 PM EDT

FBI: Friendly fire likely in border shootings

By JACQUES BILLEAUD and PETE YOST
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) -- A preliminary investigation has found friendly fire likely was to blame in a shooting that killed one federal agent and wounded another along the Arizona-Mexico border, the FBI said Friday, shaking up the probe into an incident that reignited the political debate over border security.

"There are strong preliminary indications that the death of United States Border Patrol Agent Nicholas J. Ivie and the injury to a second agent was the result of an accidental shooting incident involving only the agents," FBI Special Agent in Charge James L. Turgal Jr. said in a statement.

Turgal didn't elaborate on the agency's conclusions but said the FBI is using "all necessary investigative, forensic and analytical resources" as it investigates the Tuesday shooting about five miles north of the border near Bisbee.

Ivie was killed after he and two other agents responded to an alarm triggered by a sensor aimed at detecting smugglers and others entering the U.S. illegally.

One of the other agents was shot in the ankle and buttocks, but was released from the hospital after surgery. The third agent was uninjured.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BORDER_SHOOTING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-10-05-23-22-47

Friday news dump

Fatal friendly fire. Another classic oxymoron.

Is it typical for two out of three law enforcement officers to be shot accidentally?