Corbett Trial: Closing Arguments

In yesterday's testimony, Border Patrol Agent Nicholas Corbett took the witness stand to testify about the shooting on January 12, 2007.

Agent Nicholas Corbett told jurors that he shot 22-year-old Francisco Javier Dominguez Rivera of Puebla because he was about to hit the agent in the head with a rock. He said he was facing Dominguez, holding him off with his left arm outstretched and handgun in his right hand pointed downward when he fired.

Corbett is more than a foot taller than Dominguez was.

Prosecutors contend that Dominguez was on his knees surrendering when he was shot.

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Here is more information from observers with the Border Action Network:

Woods finished his cross-examination by thoroughly going through all the officers testimonies, previously heard earlier in the week, that were the first ones to hear Corbett’s account of what happened that afternoon. Woods pointed out that each testimony varied drastically—where one involved Corbett telling them that he saw Francisco “throw” the rock, another agent testified that it was his impression after talking to Corbett that there was a “stand-off” for which the vehicle was used as cover. All 3 accounts by these agents varied from one another, including the account that Agent Corbett himself gave on the stand. Woods effectively ended by pointing out that there seemed to be 4 different accounts made by Corbett of what happened that afternoon—and only one consistent account from all 3 of the family members. Chapman’s redirect was brief, but nonetheless revealed another inarticulate answer from Corbett. When asked by Chapman why he shot in a downward direction, Corbett responded yet again with “uh, uh…really wasn’t looking, I uh, uh, I had center mass.” Corbett was then excused from the stand.

linkage to full report