An off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent has been arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a 27-year-old man at a Southern California home, police said. Since the police investigation is ongoing, authorities have released few details on the incident.
Border Patrol agent John Demery, 40, allegedly confronted 27-year-old Adam Thomas regarding a personal dispute at a home in East Hemet, about 75 miles southeast of Los Angeles early on Saturday morning, the Associated Press reported.
An argument between the two ensued that ended with Demery shooting Thomas, according to a statement by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
While Thomas died at a hospital after suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, Demery was arrested and booked on suspicion of homicide without incident, Riverside County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Deputy Patty Stoyer said.
Currently, the 40-year-old agent, who is a veteran U.S Border Patrol agent in the San Diego Sector, is being held in prison on $1 million bail and is due in court on Thursday, according to jail records.
The Sheriff's Department has stated that it is not aware if an attorney has been hired by Demery, according to Reuters.
Meanwhile, Demery has been suspended and placed on administrative leave pending developments in the police investigation, with National Border Patrol Council spokesman Gabe Pacheco stating that agency is cooperating with sheriff's investigators.
"We are sad and shocked," Pacheco said. "We're waiting for more information from the investigation."
