From [HERE] and [HERE] Some eyewitnesses to a shooting Friday by a plainclothes Border Patrol agent, who claims he was forced to open fire on Valeria Alvarado (aka Valeria Tachiquin), 32, behind the wheel of her car, are contradicting the federal officials' version of events. Border Patrol authorities said that the woman rammed a U.S. Border Patrol agent with a car Friday on a residential South Bay road, hurling him onto the hood of the vehicle and prompting him to fatally shoot her through the windshield in self-defense, authorities reported.
The lawman was in southwestern Chula Vista with other undercover personnel to serve a felony arrest warrant when the dark-green Honda Accord struck him in the 600 block of Moss Street about 1 p.m., according to police and federal officials. Alvarado was not the subject of the warrant.
"The agent ... was hit by the vehicle and carried several hundred yards on the hood before, fearing for his life, (he) did discharge his weapon to get the vehicle to stop," Border Patrol Deputy Chief Rodney Scott told reporters. The suspect was armed with a vehicle, and literally ran our agent down."
Some eyewitnesses to the incident have contradicted the Border Patrol's account of the shooting. Witnesses said they saw Alvarado slowly driving in reverse as the agent opened fire on her at least six times.
"As the car was backing up the officer was in the street walking toward the car, and discharging. The officer never got struck by the vehicle," recalled witness Prince Watson.
"The vehicle was actually moving in reverse." Area resident Hector Salazar told NBC 7 San Diego "I just saw an agent with a gun walking toward the car and yelling," he said. "But the person inside didn't respond."
Eduardo Camacho, a witness, told NBC 7 that he saw a woman with several bullets in her chest and the officer was very shaken up.
"He nearly fell to his knees," Camacho said. "I saw his knees buckling. He started shaking all over."
Alvarado's family members say they are demanding answers.
"I want justice!" shouted Alvarado's husband, Gilbert Alvarado. "Whoever shot my wife... he needs to get shot. He needs to get justice served."
Medics took the agent to a hospital. Scott said he did not know the extent of his injuries. "But he was impacted by a vehicle pretty hard," the spokesman added.
Alvarado was not the subject of the warrant, Scott told news crews. That suspect remained at large in the late afternoon, he said.
The Chula Vista Police Department was investigating the case in conjunction with the Border Patrol and U.S. Inspector General's Office, CVPD Lt. Lon Turner said.