State and federal law enforcement agencies deployed helicopters and scores of officers in pursuit of the suspects after the deputy was shot with an AK-47 on Friday afternoon.
PHOENIX -- Law officers backed by helicopters hunted gunmen in Arizona's desert early Saturday after a sheriff's deputy was wounded by suspected illegal immigrants believed to be smuggling marijuana, officials said. The violent episode came amid nationwide debate over the state's tough new immigration law.
Pinal County Deputy Louie Puroll was patrolling alone Friday afternoon in a rugged area near Interstate 8, about 50 miles south of Phoenix, when he came upon a band of suspected smugglers, authorities said.
At least one of five suspects opened fire on the 53-year-old lawman, tearing a chunk of skin from just above his left kidney. The officer was found after a frantic hourlong search, Pinal County sheriff's Lt. Tamatha Villar said.
The wound was not serious and Puroll was released Friday night from Casa Grande Regional Medical Center.
State and federal law enforcement agencies deployed helicopters and scores of officers to search a 100 square-mile zone near the Interstate and Arizona 84 for the suspects. The Arizona Republic reported officials said more than one of the choppers came under fire during the manhunt.
The Pinal Sheriff's department told The Associated Press that the hunt into the early morning hours Saturday but no arrests had been made.
The shooting was likely to add fuel to an already fiery national debate sparked last week when Gov. Jan Brewer signed a law cracking down on illegal immigration in the state.
A backlash over the law has surged with civil rights activists, concerned it will lead to racial profiling, calling for protests and a boycott of the state.
The new law's passage came amid increasing anger in Arizona about violence, drug smugglers, illegal immigration drop houses and other problems that some say are caused by poor border security. The issue gained focus a month ago when a southern Arizona rancher was shot and killed by a suspected illegal border crosser.............>>>>...............>>>>............http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/04/30/arizona-authorities-searching-deputy-shot-desert/
Some people said "that's what AZ gets" which I think is a stupid and ignorant remark. This has been an area already heavily searched because illegals use it constantly. This shooting could have easily happened before the law went into affect. So while this law is misguided in my opinion, this shooting shouldn't be an influence into people's decisions either way.
It's unfortunate that this issue has not been addressed, with a resolve, by the last couple of administrations up to the present. Does anyone know if being an illegal is a civil offense or a federal offense?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
The illegal who was convicted yesterday on charges in Saratoga County said to his victim: "I am going to rape you and kill you will never see your family again." What a noble, poor, victimized man of color in America wanting to partake of the American dream who is being held down by rich, mean-spirited hateful, right wingers. How misguided it would be if he was pulled over for speeding and they dared ask him for his immigration status papers as federal law prescribes all immigrants to have handy. Racist too, of course.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
Like I said before, administration after administration and this is what it has come to. We aren't a county any more. Countries have boarders........we don't!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Back when the first huge surges of illegals were pushing through the Arizona border and killing ranchers, farmers, et al, livestock and pets, then-Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano joined “forces” with then-Mexican President Vicente Fox and former Secretary of State Madeline Albright in litigating against those same ranchers, farmers et al. Why? They were “mistreating” those same illegals. In any case, this sort of obvious misguided “alliance” would leave one to question Napolitano’s position in the Homeland Security department.
Ariz. gov signed bill targeting ethnic studies Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signs bill targeting school district's ethnic studies program
By JONATHAN J. COOPER, Associated Press Last updated: 9:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 11, 2010
PHOENIX -- Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has signed a bill targeting an ethnic studies program in a Tucson school district.
State schools chief Tom Horne, a Republican running for Attorney General, says the district's ethnic studies program promotes "ethnic chauvinism" and racial resentment toward whites...........>>>>..........>>>>.............Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=930193#ixzz0nfzl50wt
Good. Some common sense in one corner of our liberal idiotic-leaning nation. The girls that voted for Obama will never understand how we are slitting our own throat, but a few people may be waking up. Just a few.
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
U.S. has ignored its own immigration laws long enough
I couldn’t help but notice the May 1 article [“Arizona meeting hostility over immigration law”] about how hysterical liberals are in defense of lawbreakers in this country. I can’t seem to understand what they don’t understand about the definition of the word “illegal.” Has the word “illegal” acquired a new defi - nition in recent years, thus making it a non-PC [politically correct] word? Is there now something improper about enforcing laws that have been in effect for over 50 years, but ignored by the federal government? What I also find curious was the major protests in many American cities supporting lawbreakers on May 1 (aka May Day), a major socialist holiday. What was even more interesting was the lack of media reports of the violence against police at these protests. Below the above-mentioned article was a much smaller one [“American held in N. Korea calls mother”] about an American being held in North Korea for being in their country illegally. He was convicted of illegal entry, sentenced to eight years of hard labor and fi ned $700,000. Am I missing something here?