'We want justice': Family, friends of Tohono O'odham man protest Border Patrol killing

WHY — A sliver of smoke billowed out of a bundle of creosote bush leaves burning in Ophelia Rivas’ lap.

Rivas sat in a lawn chair in front of the Ajo Border Patrol Station after she smudged the couple dozen protest attendees with the creosote bundle, cleansing and protecting them from any negative energy.

Rivas gathered in the simmering sun to protest the death of her longtime friend Raymond Mattia, who died May 18 after being shot by Border Patrol agents multiple times. Almost everyone donned red shirts with Mattia’s photo that said “Justice for Raymond Mattia.”

Three agents from the Ajo Border Patrol Station shot and killed Mattia, a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, steps outside his home. Mattia was shot in the Meneger's Dam Village within the Tohono O’odham Nation and about a mile north of the U.S.-Mexico border.

More than a week after his death, Mattia’s family, friends and advocates demanded justice on the road across from the Border Patrol station. In Tucson, a few dozen people concurrently gathered to protest Mattia’s killing outside of Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector Headquarters.

“My uncle didn't deserve to die like this,” Yvonne Nevarez, Mattia’s niece, said as she held a sign in protest Saturday. “I know he would have been doing this if it happened to any of us.”

Mattia would have wanted for someone to be held accountable, Nevarez added.

Mattia’s shooting has further strained the already fraught relationship that many members of the Tohono O’odham Nation have with Border Patrol. Mattia’s family and friends raised concerns about the “unchecked” aggressions from Border Patrol agents toward community members during Saturday’s protest.

“After this happened, we feel like we can't trust (Border Patrol) to come when there's issues,” Nevarez said. “We really don't want any part of them anymore.”

Nevarez said she wants the people who killed her uncle to be held accountable so a similar incident doesn’t happen again. She worries for her family members who are still living in the community.

“Now, we don't know who to trust,” Nevarez said.

'My baby brother': Family of Tohono O'odham man speaks out after Border Patrol shooting

Mattia was on the community council of the village and would often speak up about Border Patrol abuses, Rivas said. Mattia raised concerns about corruption and advocated for protecting the community from drug and human trafficking, Rivas added.

“This aggression and racist attitudes of the Border Patrol have gone unchecked for so many years,” Rivas said. “We're just here to say that we've had enough of this. We want justice for Ray.”

There are some “really great” inconsistencies with the story of the shooting that U.S. Customs and Border Protection released compared with the story the Mattia family knows, Rivas said.

Mattia’s family gathered after the shooting and stayed at the crime scene for the entire time, according to Mattia’s sister Annette Mattia. Raymond Mattia lay in front of his home for seven hours before a coroner from Tucson arrived, Annette Mattia said.

Annette Mattia lived next door to Raymond Mattia, her younger brother, and had spoken to him seconds before he was killed. Annette Mattia relives the “traumatizing” experience every day, she said Saturday.

“(Raymond Mattia) called for help and they shot him dead,” Vivian Leigh Manuel, a Mattia family friend, said. “Nothing we say or do can bring Ray back.”

What we know: Border Patrol fatally shoots Tohono O'odham man

Raymond Mattia had just celebrated his 58th birthday the day before he was killed. His daughter didn’t have a chance to give him his birthday cake before he died.

Mattia was the father of two and a traditional singer for ceremonies in the community and in Mexico, Annette Mattia said. He was also a “really gifted” artist, prospector, sculptor and hunter.

Agents shot Raymond Mattia after he reportedly threw an object toward a police officer and abruptly extended his right arm away from his body, according to CBP.

The Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department had requested assistance from Border Patrol to respond to a shots fired call west of the Meneger's Dam community.

Mattia was shot approximately 38 times, according to a report from Tucson TV station KVOA. CBP has not yet confirmed how many times Mattia was shot.

One police officer and at least 10 Border Patrol agents were present for the shooting with all of the agents activating their body cameras during the shooting.

Transparency demanded: Border Patrol shooting of Tohono O'odham man outside his home renews questions of accountability

Have a news tip or story idea about the border and its communities? Contact the reporter at josecastaneda@arizonarepublic.com or connect with him on Twitter @joseicastaneda.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Border Patrol abuses decried by family, friends of slain tribal member