A Sahuarita man, Patrick Gary Schlegel, has been charged with Assault on a Federal Officer after he shot at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter that was assisting in his apprehension.
According to the criminal complaint, filed in federal District Court on Jan. 27, U.S. Border Patrol agents were involved in a reactive human trafficking pursuit in rural southern Arizona, near Arivaca, when the suspect allegedly opened fire on the helicopter, manned by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent.
A Border Patrol agent on the ground then engaged and shot at the suspect, Patrick Gary Schlegel, 34, of Sahuarita. He was taken into custody, treated for his wounds and transported to a local hospital.
Through the cooperative efforts of federal and local law enforcement, it was determined that Schlegel was also wanted on a federal warrant for escape from custody, was convicted of multiple felonies—including alien smuggling—and has an order of protection against him in Pima county.
The complaint alleges violations of 18 USC 111 (Assault on a Federal Officer), 18 USC 922(g) (Prohibited Possession of a Firearm), and 8 USC 1324 (Transportation of an Illegal Alien). The United States Attorney’s Office is continuing to investigate further violations of federal law.
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