The sheriff’s office in Pinal County, AZ, earlier today gave us a statement standing by its own investigation into the alleged shooting of one of its deputies, purportedly by Mexican drug smugglers, even after pathologists who reviewed the photos of the deputy found the circumstances consistent with a close-range shot at odds with the deputy’s account. But now, just a few hours later, the sheriff has reversed course and announced he’s reopening the investigation.
Considering how quickly the case became a cause celeb among anti-immigration types and a political flashpoint on the issue nationally, it’s really, really hard to imagine the results of his investigation having a lot of credibility. Remember, too, that the sheriff, Paul Babeu, has appeared in a campaign ad for John McCain, publicly stated that the U.S. government is now the enemy, and claimed that Mexican drug lords had taken over part of U.S. territory. But in any event, he’s reopened the case and is going to take another look. Stay tuned.
