Newly released body camera footage shows Border Patrol agents shooting a tribal member in Arizona

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Body camera footage recently disclosed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) illustrates the contentious shooting of a tribal member by Border Patrol agents in Arizona. The video suggests that the agents, who fatally shot Raymond Mattia, 58, last month, feared he was armed with a handgun during their encounter in a secluded area of the Tohono O’odham Nation in southern Arizona.

The incident, which occurred outside a residence in the Menagers Dam community on the reservation near the U.S.-Mexico border, led to Mattia’s death shortly after the shooting on the night of May 18. A phone call recording included with the video corroborates the agency’s previous assertion that the Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department sought Border Patrol’s assistance following a report of gunfire.

The footage, unveiled late Thursday, reveals Mattia tossing a sheathed machete at a tribal officer’s feet and extending his arm, incidents that the CBP referred to in its initial recounting of the event. The time stamp indicates the event happened in the early hours of May 19, but it is adjusted to -0400, which matches Eastern Standard Time (EST) and is four hours behind Universal Time Coordinated (UTC).

After the shooting, when Mattia was down, one agent can be heard saying, “He’s still got a gun in his hand.” The video also features several agents inquiring repeatedly about a firearm while moving to handcuff Mattia, though no handgun was found.

CBP earlier informed that the three Border Patrol agents who discharged their weapons, along with at least seven others present, were equipped with and activated their body cameras during the incident. The agents involved have been placed on paid leave.

The Pima County Medical Examiner also published its autopsy report on Friday, revealing that Mattia sustained nine gunshot wounds. A companion toxicology report found high levels of alcohol, amphetamine, and oxycodone in Mattia’s system.

The shooting is being scrutinized by the FBI, the Tohono O’odham Nation, and CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility, though no findings have been released as of yet.

Due to adverse weather conditions, no air ambulance was available to transport Mattia to a hospital. Despite attempted resuscitation, he was pronounced dead at the scene following a consultation with a doctor at a Tucson hospital.

CBP reported that it had distributed approximately 7,000 body cameras to its units under a program initiated in August 2021. This year, it has disclosed body camera footage of several fatal shootings involving its agents, the most recent being a fatal shooting near Las Cruces, New Mexico, on April 2. In this instance, agents fired at a man who allegedly attacked them with a wooden club following a lengthy car chase of around 23 miles (37 kilometers) after he bypassed a checkpoint without stopping.