San Diego Border Patrol chief: ‘I kind of challenge that it was a peaceful protest’

The chief patrol agent for San Diego Sector Border Control pushed back against reports that a Sunday demonstration near Tijuana was peaceful.

“I kind of challenge that it was a peaceful protest or that the majority of these people were claiming asylum,” Rodney Scott told CNN, noting that federal agents arrested 42 people.

{mosads}”The group immediately started throwing rocks and debris at our agents, taunting our agents,” he said. “Once our agents were assaulted and the numbers started growing — we had two or three agents initially facing hundreds of people at a time — they deployed tear gas to protect themselves or protect the border.”

Scott said that at least three agents were “struck by rocks,” but their tactical gear protected them. 

“What I saw on the border yesterday was not people walking up to border patrol agents and asking to claim asylum,” Scott said, adding that one of the groups, several members of which were arrested, passed “10 or 15 marked border patrol units … walking west to east, numerous uniformed personnel as they were chanting, waving a Honduran flag, and throwing rocks at the agents.”

“If they were truly asylum-seekers they would’ve just walked up with their hands up and surrendered, but that did not take place,” he added.

“I kind of challenge that it was a peaceful protest or that the majority of these people were claiming asylum,” says the Chief Patrol Agent, San Diego Sector Border Control, explaining the decision to use tear gas. “42 crossed the border and were arrested” https://t.co/w67XCL3JqD pic.twitter.com/BkuMJSswl7

— New Day (@NewDay) November 26, 2018