By Steve Neavling

A Raleigh police officer was arrested Wednesday after allegedly selling cocaine to an undercover informant while he was on duty and wearing his uniform. 

Officer Kevin Rodriguez, 33, a four-year veteran of the department, has been charged with distribution of cocaine and possession of a firearm, the Raleigh News & Observer reports.

“When one who wears the badge breaks the law, it breaches the public trust,” U.S. Attorney Michael Easley said at a news conference. “This alleged crime is a serious breach of public trust.”

In November 2021, a tipster said the officer was selling drugs in Raleigh, prompting an investigation by the DEA and Raleigh Police Department. 

According to prosecutors, Rodriquez sold $2,600 worth of cocaine to a confidential informant after driving to the drug deal in his parole car. 

Rodriguez is on administrative leave without pay. 

“The arrest of Mr. Rodriguez is a disappointment to me, the Raleigh Police Department, and the citizens and residents of our community,” Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said. “Although disheartening, I want to ensure transparency to maintain public trust.”

By Steve Neavling

A migrant who was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent in southern Arizona first assaulted the agent with a rock, the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office said. 

The sheriff’s office is investigating the fatal shooting that occurred at about 10 p.m. on Saturday in a rugged area of the Peloncillo Mountains in Douglas, a few miles north of the border. 

In a statement, the sheriff’s office said the agent was acting in self-defense when he shot the migrant multiple times, 12 News-TV reports.

The migrant has been identified as 32-year-old Carmelo Cruz-Marcos of Mexico. 

Moments before the shooting, the agent encountered a group of undocumented migrants, including Cruz-Marcos. The migrants ran, prompting a foot chase. Both Cruz-Marcos and the agent tripped, and a struggle ensued. 

Cruz-Marcos struck the agent in the shoulder and then retrieved a rock, according to the sheriff’s office. As the migrant raised his arm with the rock, the agent told investigators that he had “feared for his life” and pulled the trigger.