On a fateful day near the Arizona-Mexico border, Raymond Mattia, a respected member of the Tohono O’odham Nation from Menagers Dam, lost his life in an encounter with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents. Mattia, concerned about unfamiliar figures trespassing on his property, had reached out to the authorities for assistance. What transpired next, however, was far from the help he sought.
Bodycam footage, pieced together from different angles, provides a window into the unfolding drama. An agent, audibly on edge and displaying signs of aggression, mentions “shooting the lock off” a building they were circling. He spews derogatory language, targeting an unseen figure near Mattia’s home. Yet, there is no confirmation that the figure in question was Mattia himself.
When the agents eventually cross paths with Mattia, they demand that he raise his hands and discard whatever he is holding. He complies, throwing away his sheathed knife and making an attempt to raise his hands. Despite his compliance, the agents open fire within a shockingly brief 16-second window from their initial command.
The scene that follows is no less harrowing. Agents hastily administer emergency medical care to Mattia, all the while making unverified claims about him possessing a firearm. Their commands persist, even as Mattia lies wounded on the ground. They eventually handcuff him, a jarring image of the exercise of power.
It’s notable that Mattia had only a hunting knife, which he had discarded upon the agents’ request. Yet, the agents’ combative stance did not waver. The situation is further muddied by one agent’s assertion that Mattia “threw the machete at us.”
The repercussions of the incident are still unfolding, with investigations underway by several bodies, including the Border Patrol’s parent agency, Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, and the Tohono O’odham Nation. Three of the ten agents involved are currently on administrative leave.
This incident underscores the need for introspection and reevaluation of our systems of power. It begs the question, when does the exercise of authority cross the line into unjustified aggression? How do we ensure that the voices of those without the badges and guns are heard and valued?
Moreover, the tangled web of legal precedents presents a formidable challenge to those seeking justice. But it’s a challenge that cannot be ignored. Now, more than ever, it is crucial that we question the power dynamics at play and strive for a system that holds everyone, regardless of their badge, accountable for their actions.
Photo by Dulcey Lima