Texas asks FBI to investigate helicopter shooting

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — State police in Texas have asked the FBI and U.S. Justice Department to conduct an independent investigation of a chase in which a trooper fired on a fleeing pickup truck from a helicopter, resulting in the deaths of two Guatemalan immigrants who were hiding in the bed.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has said troopers believed drugs were hidden under a sheet in the truck’s bed when the shots were fired. Instead, there were people.

DPS director Steve McCraw said in a statement Friday that he has asked the federal authorities to investigate the incident. The Texas Rangers will turn over their completed investigation and evidence to federal authorities.

The Texas Rangers are part of DPS, and lawmakers and several groups had called for an independent investigation.