Justice for Jose? Border Shooting of Mexican Teen Raises Constitutional Issue Alan Yuhas - The Guardian
go to original June 3, 2015

A procession in 2013 marks the first anniversary of José Antonio Elena Rodríguez’s death in 2012. Last year, with a federal investigation dragging on, his mother sued in federal court. (Rex Alan Yuhas)

Anger, pain and disbelief rang in the voice of Araceli Rodríguez as she talked about her son’s killing by an American agent, whose 10 rounds shot through a border fence have raised questions over policing and whether the US constitution can apply to a Mexican teenager on foreign soil.

“He’s still a part of me,” Rodríguez said of her son, José Antonio Elena Rodríguez, who was 16 when border patrol agent Lonnie Swartz shot him dead in October 2012. “Even though he’s not here he’s still my son in spirit, in soul, in thoughts, in words. My son, my son, my son.”

She remembered him in terms any mother would find familiar, through his hopes and everyday joys.

“He liked cloudy days, chocolate cookies, spending time with his sisters,” she said. “He was a 16-year-old boy who would today be 19, full of passion for life [and] love. He wanted to be a soldier, to serve his country, to know what life is.

“He was a wonderful son, and they snatched that away from in a moment. It’s unforgivable.”

Rodríguez’s grief has turned to anger and bafflement over the delays and twists of the American justice system.

Read the rest at The Guardian

Related: Report Alleges Racial Profiling and Abuse by Border Law Enforcement (Fronteras Desk)

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