United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Age: 40
Tour of Duty: 3 years, 5 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: December 14, 2010
Weapon Used: Rifle; AK-47
Suspect Info: Seven suspects convicted
Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was shot and killed near Rio Rico, Arizona, while attempting to apprehend a group of armed subjects. The suspects had been preying on illegal immigrants, bringing in drugs with the intent to rob them after they sold the drugs.
Agent Terry and several other agents were attempting to arrest the group when shots were exchanged between the suspects and agents. Agent Terry was struck in the pelvis by a round fired by a suspect armed with an AK-47.
He was flown to a hospital where he succumbed early the following morning.
One of the subjects who was wounded in the shootout was taken into custody at the scene and charged with murder. Four other subjects fled the scene and were believed to have returned to Mexico. One of the four fugitives was arrested by Mexican authorities in September 2012.
On October 30th, 2012, the subject who was wounded in the initial shootout pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. A total of six subjects were convicted of crimes in connection to Agent Terry's murder and sentenced to life. The seventh suspect, leader of the group, was extradited from Mexico to Arizona in 2020. On September 21, 2022, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to 77 years.
Agent Terry was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the United States Border Patrol for 3 1/2 years. He had previously served as a police officer with the Lincoln Park, Michigan, Police Department. He is survived by his parents, brother, two sisters, five nieces, and one nephew.
He is buried in Michigan Memorial Park, Flat Rock, Wayne County, Michigan.