Coast Guardsman killed after boat slammed

Coast Guardsman Fired Gun to Avoid Fatal Crash
Military.com
Dec 05, 2012
Associated Press
by Elliot Spagat

SAN DIEGO -- A Coast Guardsman fired several gunshots from an inflatable boat before it was slammed by another vessel in a crash that caused the first American law enforcement fatality since the smuggling of drugs and immigrants by boat began spiking along the California coast several years ago.

A criminal complaint filed Monday against two Mexican nationals aboard the suspect vessel disclosed the gunshots and other measures taken by the crew to avoid getting hit early Sunday near the Channel Islands, about 180 miles (290 kilometers) northwest of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horne III, 34, died from head trauma after being struck by a propeller. The complaint doesn't say which boat hit him.
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