A Nogales man, Erik Alberto Beal, has been sentenced to a mere 32 months in prison after pleading guilty to Assault on a Federal Officer.
The 28-year-old Beal’s prison sentence is to be followed by 36 months of supervised release.
According to the Department of Justice, on April 11, 2024, two uniformed Border Patrol Agents were tracking an illegal alien they saw cross into the United States near Beal’s residence in the border city of Nogales.
The agents had split up and were searching around Beal’s residence when a pit bull was released from the side door in the direction of the one of the agents. The agent drew his service-issued firearm at the pit bull and began shouting. Beal then came out of his house, retrieved a semi-automatic handgun from his nearby truck, chambered a round, and pointed the gun at the uniformed agent. A brief, but tense, standoff ensued until the second agent arrived and drew his service weapon at Beal. Only then did Beal put down his gun.
You do not point a weapon at a uniformed officer, that’s a great way to get killed.