U.S. Border Patrol agent kills 'suspected illegal border crosser' from Canada

A U.S. Border Patrol agent shot a man crossing in from Canada — (Image credit: The Bellingham Herald)

On Thursday, a U.S. Border Patrol agent shot and killed "a suspected illegal border crosser" in Sumas, Washington, a town about 100 miles north of Seattle with a small border crossing to Canada, Customs and Border Protection spokesman Michael Friel said. Friel didn't provide many details, saying only that the unidentified agent had been assaulted before firing.

The person killed was a man, shot in the head, The Bellingham Herald reports, citing police radio traffic. The Border Patrol agent had been hit by pepper spray and isn't seriously injured, the paper adds. The FBI has been informed of the incident, which will be investigated by a multi-agency team. Herald reporter Philip Dwyer has some video of the scene below. —Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.