A Tucson federal court jury found U.S. Border Patrol Agent Lonnie Swartz not guilty of second-degree murder on Monday. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on lesser charges of voluntary and involuntary manslaughter.
Swartz was on trial for the killing of a Mexican teenager, who was allegedly throwing rocks at agents to thwart their efforts to arrest drug smugglers who were attempting to escape into Mexico.
U.S. District Court Judge Raner C. Collins instructed the jury that if they could not agree to a verdict in the second-degree murder charge, then they were to consider lesser charges including voluntary and involuntary manslaughter.
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