Driver killed after fleeing Texas Border Patrol checkpoint and shooting at officers

(CNN) — A man was killed Wednesday after fleeing a US Border Patrol checkpoint near El Paso, Texas, and engaging in a shootout with law enforcement, state authorities say.

The man, identified as 33-year-old Wisconsin resident James Douglas McMillan, was crossing through the Sierra Blanca checkpoint – a remote Border Patrol station about 90 miles east of El Paso – when a Border Patrol drug K-9 alerted to his car, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

But McMillan sped off when agents asked him to pull over for a search, triggering a high-speed car and helicopter chase down Interstate 10, DPS said.

McMillan began shooting out of his car window at law enforcement and civilian vehicles, DPS said. Law enforcement returned fire and DPS performed a maneuver to cause the driver to crash about 70 miles from where the chase began, the agency said.

“McMillan barricaded himself in his vehicle and eventually pointed his weapon towards officers – officers then discharged their weapons,” DPS said.

The man was shot and killed by law enforcement, the agency confirmed. Nobody else was injured.

Texas State Troopers, Border Patrol agents and members of the Culberson County Sheriff’s Office were involved in the chase. It is unclear which agency fired the fatal shot.

A Culberson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told CNN earlier Wednesday the driver began firing inside the checkpoint. They also said only one law enforcement officer fired at the suspect. CNN has sought clarity from DPS.

McMillan’s vehicle appears to have been stolen from Arizona, according to DPS, citing a preliminary investigation.

The incident is being investigated by Texas Rangers with assistance from the FBI and Border Patrol.

Witness video shows at least four law enforcement vehicles closely pursuing a car as it weaves through highway traffic.

Olivia Siqueiros said she saw the chase speed by as she was driving with her family. Later, as they neared a scrum of vehicles stopped in the road, she tried to get a closer look.

“We got out of our cars because we were trying to figure out what was happening,” Siqueiros said. “At that point, we saw a flash grenade go off and then we heard a loud boom and several gunshots. Everyone just ran back in their cars.”

After the shootout, another video captured the man’s car wedged in a ditch with its driver’s side door and trunk flung open.

The shooting comes as immigration enforcement officers face on-the-job threats that the Department of Homeland Security says have increased during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, though it’s not clear whether the stepped-up enforcement was a factor in Wednesday’s incident.

There is no current risk to the public, DPS said in a post on X. However, drivers are being asked to avoid I-10 near the town of Kent while investigators remain on the scene.

The checkpoint where the shooting began boasts a “first-of-its-kind” vehicle barrier system, which was installed in January. The semi-autonomous barrier is intended to prevent vehicles from fleeing at high speeds from the checkpoint, US Customs and Border Protection has said.

Though the incident occurred on the US side of the checkpoint, it is unclear whether the new barrier was involved.

The Sierra Blanca station is the second busiest checkpoint in the US, according to Rep. Tony Gonzales. CBP says the critical border artery processes thousands of vehicles a day.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Caroll Alvarado contributed to this report.