Border Patrol Agent Dustin Sato-Smith has successfully moved his case from state court to federal court, claiming he’s immune from state prosecution on a vehicular manslaughter charge
A U.S. Border Patrol vehicle drives along the U.S.-Mexico border road in the Tijuana River Valley on Monday, July 15, 2024 in San Diego, California. U.S. Border Patrol Agent Dustin Sato-Smith was driving an agency van last year on Campo Road near the U.S.-Mexico border when he received a radio call requiring his attention in the opposite direction.
A California Highway Patrol investigation later determined Sato-Smith, who’d been airlifted to a hospital for his injuries, had committed an infraction by “making his U-turn … directly into the path” of the motorcycle. The CHP concluded the agent was at fault for the deadly collision and should be charged. On Valentine’s Day this year, the county District Attorney’s Office charged Sato-Smith in El Cajon Superior Court with a misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence.
The involvement of a Border Patrol agent and other details of the crash, which occurred around 8 p.m. on Feb. 19, 2023, have not previously been reported. The Border Patrol did not respond to questions about the case, and it is unclear if Sato-Smith faced any internal or administrative discipline in relation to the deadly crash.
According to the filing requesting the transfer to federal court, Sato-Smith was assigned to the Campo Border Patrol Station. Part of his duties included transporting apprehended people in a Chevrolet Express van. On the night of the crash, he was driving alone headed west between Campo and Potrero when he received a radio call that undocumented migrants appeared to be staging near the border east of his location.
According to Pinckard, the California Attorney General’s Office will take over the prosecutorial role from the District Attorney’s Office in the evidentiary hearing, which has not yet been scheduled. As for Sato-Smith, he had the choice to keep Pinckard, his retained attorney, or be represented at no cost by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which typically defends federal agencies and their employees in civil suits. On Friday, the agent notified the judge that he intends to be defended by the U.S.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
San Diego Retakes Lead as June’s Busiest Border Patrol SectorSource of breaking news and analysis, insightful commentary and original reporting, curated and written specifically for the new generation of independent and conservative thinkers.
Read more »
KEN KRAMER'S ABOUT SAN DIEGO: Vintage Train & San Diego State CollegeThursday, June 27, 2024 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream now with the PBS App + Encore Sunday, June 30 at 4 p.m. on KPBS and Monday, June 1 at 8 p.m. on KPBS 2. We join Ken aboard a vintage train through the desert backcountry of San Diego County.
Read more »
At the border, migrants ‘wait and see’ as encounters with Border Patrol dip 40%The Biden administration touts the recent decline in border crossings as a policy win. But one family's story of risking the journey shows why asylum restrictions aren't a long-term solution.
Read more »
At the border, migrants ‘wait and see’ as encounters with Border Patrol dip 40%The Biden administration touts the recent decline in border crossings as a policy win. But one family's story of risking the journey shows why asylum restrictions aren't a long-term solution.
Read more »
At the border, migrants ‘wait and see’ as encounters with Border Patrol dip 40%The Biden administration touts the recent decline in border crossings as a policy win. But one family's story of risking the journey shows why asylum restrictions aren't a long-term solution.
Read more »
Border Patrol agents recorded the fewest monthly migrant apprehensions since 2021 on southern borderMigrant apprehensions in Texas decreased by nearly one-third in June, the first month of a new order by President Joe Biden that widely limited asylum claims.
Read more »