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Jury in border killing ends day of deliberations

Posted at 11:09 AM, Apr 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-18 19:07:14-04

Jurors in the trial of a U.S. Border Patrol agent facing a murder charge in the cross-border shooting of a teenager have wrapped up deliberations for the day and will be off Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Raner Collins dismissed jurors Wednesday after the second day of deliberations and ordered them back in court Friday.

Jurors are weighing the case against Agent Lonnie Swartz, who is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez.

The prosecution has argued that Swartz used an unreasonable amount of force when he responded to rock throwing while shooting from Nogales, Arizona, into Mexico.

The defense has countered that Swartz fired in self-defense.

Collins has told jurors they can also consider the charges of voluntary and involuntary manslaughter.