What does ‘administrative leave’ mean for federal agents who use deadly force?published at 18:44 GMT
18:44 GMT
Border Patrol agents involved in the deadly shooting of Alex Pretti have been placed on administrative leave.
But what exactly does that mean?
A former federal agent told the BBC’s US partner CBS News that administrative leave is typically required in cases where deadly force has been used.
Agents are typically placed on leave for at least three days – but sometimes that can go longer, said Scott Sweetow, a former special agent in charge for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, commonly called ATF, in St. Paul.
“That’s both to protect the agency, to protect the person and frankly to protect the public from someone who may really be rattled when they’re out there because they’ve had to use deadly force and you don’t want them back out there engaging in a situation where they could use deadly force again,” Sweetow said.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who overseas ICE and Border Patrol, has previously said this standard procedure was followed after an ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good earlier this month
A CBS anchor asked Noem whether the officer was placed on the normal three-day administrative leave following the shooting.
“We are following the exact same investigative and review process that we always have under ICE and under the Department of Homeland Security and within the administration,” Noem said.
“The exact same policy that the Biden administration used, the exact same review, so we haven’t changed any of that,” she added.