Border agents handcuff, interrogate Winnipeg couple
Last Updated: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 | 2:48 PM CT
CBC News
A Winnipeg couple's recent trip to play golf and go shopping in the United States went awry at the border when they were ordered at gunpoint to get out of their vehicle.
Jan and Donald Miller were at the Pembina, N.D., crossing on their way to Grand Forks on Friday and everything was fine until a U.S. border guard had a look at their passports.
"All of a sudden I heard an alarm go off and the girl [border agent] closed her window … and I turned around to my right and I noticed all the others had closed their windows all the way down in all the areas where the cars come through," said Jan Miller. "Then I turned around to the front and there were six guns trained on us and one on my husband's head."
It turned out that Donald Miller has the same name and birthday as a man considered armed and dangerous, and wanted by police in the United States.
The Millers were handcuffed, searched and questioned in interrogation rooms, said Jan. The whole ordeal lasted a little less than half an hour when border guards finally told them it was a case of mistaken identity.
Jan said she understands the need for security, but believes border guards should get more information before they take such drastic measures.
"I'm still shook up talking about it, I'll be very honest with you. And whenever I think about the guns, it really upsets me to a great deal," she said. "I hope it doesn't happen to anybody else."
