‘It's time to get aggressive,’ US Border Patrol agent says in Chicago shooting video
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US citizen Marimar Martinez survived being shot multiple times by a Border Patrol agent during an immigration crackdown last autumn.
PHOTO: REUTERS
CHICAGO – Federal prosecutors have released bodycam footage in the case of a Chicago woman who survived being shot multiple times by a Border Patrol agent during an immigration crackdown last autumn, part of a trove of evidence that casts doubt on the Trump administration’s account of the incident.
Soon after the shooting, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said US citizen Marimar Martinez had rammed the agents with her car
Video, e-mails and other records were released by the US Attorney’s Office in Chicago late on Feb 10 after a district court judge said the government had shown “zero concern” about Ms Martinez’s reputation.
Ms Martinez, a Montessori school teacher in Chicago, was following the agents on Oct 4 to warn residents of their presence when the collision occurred.
In the bodycam video released on Feb 10, one agent can be heard saying “do something, bitch” shortly before the vehicles make contact.
An agent in the vehicle, driven by US Customs and Border Protection agent Charles Exum, says they were being boxed in.
“It’s time to get aggressive,” he says, adding “we’re going to make contact”.
After the collision, Mr Exum stepped out of the vehicle and fired five shots. Ms Martinez drove off, and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.
The DHS released a statement after the shooting saying that Ms Martinez had “ambushed” the border patrol vehicle, and that an agent had fired in self-defence.
Ms Martinez, 31, was indicted on charges of impeding a federal officer. The charges were dropped in November, but the DHS statement labelling her a “domestic terrorist” has remained online.
She said she sought the release after the fatal shootings by federal immigration agents of protesters Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in January, and to clear her name. Her lawyer Christopher Parente said on Feb 10 that she also planned to file a civil lawsuit.
Agent bragged about marksmanship
In the bodycam footage, agents, including Mr Exum, can be seen inside a Border Patrol vehicle driving as protesters honk their horns outside.
In the moments before the collision, an agent says, “we’re gonna make contact and we are boxed in”, just before the video shows Mr Exum, who is at the wheel, turn the steering wheel sharply to the left.
“Be advised we’ve been struck, we’ve been struck,” the agent wearing the bodycam says into a radio.
Mr Exum then opens the door with his weapon drawn.
During Ms Martinez’s court case, evidence was shared that Mr Exum had driven the vehicle, a Chevy Tahoe, back to his base in Maine, and that repairs were made by a Customs and Border Protection mechanic before the defendants could examine it.
Text messages from Mr Exum also surfaced in court including one in which he bragged about his marksmanship in a group chat with other agents.
“I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book, boys,” he wrote.
The records released on Feb 10 also included an e-mail sent on the afternoon of the shooting by Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino, who was demoted from his post as commander-at-large, overseeing operations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis, following Mr Pretti’s death.
Mr Bovino thanked Mr Exum for his “excellent service” in Chicago and suggested that the agent postpone his retirement.
“You have much left to do!” he wrote. REUTERS
