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Border Patrol agent accused of killing teenager testifies

Posted at 9:56 PM, Apr 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-10 01:13:28-04

A U.S. Border Patrol agent charged in the 2012 fatal shooting of a teenager across the Mexican border has testified that he doesn't remember much after he fired his weapon the first two times.

Defense attorneys called agent Lonnie Swartz to testify Monday after their first witness contradicted herself on the stand last week.

Swartz is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez.

Federal prosecutors say Swartz fired 16 shots, hitting the teen 10 times including eight times in the back.

Swartz has said he fired in self-defense after people threw rocks from the Mexico side of the border during a drug smuggling attempt.

Prosecutors don't dispute that the boy was throwing rocks, but they contend Swartz responded with an unreasonable amount of force.