Border Patrol agent praised by Bovino after shooting Chicago woman, documents show
New video of Border Patrol shooting in Chicago released
New evidence, including body camera footage, related to the shooting of a Chicago woman by a Border Patrol agent during last year's Operation Midway Blitz was released.
CHICAGO - U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino praised an agent on the same day he shot and injured Marimar Martinez on Chicago’s Southwest Side last year.
The message from Bovino and other pieces of evidence, including body camera footage, shed new light on the aftermath of one of the most violent clashes involving federal immigration officials during last year's Operation Midway Blitz.
What we know:
Bovino sent the email to the agent, Charles Exum, on Oct. 4, just hours after the shooting in Brighton Park. He first asked Exum to essentially delay his retirement.
"I’d like to extend an offer for you to extend your retirement beyond age 57. This will be your second extension, and we’d like you to consider this if feasible," Bovino wrote.
He then praised Exum, writing, "In light of your excellent service in Chicago, you have much yet left to do!!"
Among the pieces of evidence unsealed this week were multiple clips of body camera footage from Border Patrol agents from that day, including from Exum.
The backstory:
The shooting happened after Martinez followed federal immigration agents in an SUV for several minutes and honked her horn to alert community members, according to her attorneys.
The Department of Homeland Security initially said she used her car to ram agents in the SUV, but her attorneys said that narrative is false and that it was the federal agents who deliberately swerved into her car. At that point, Exum got out of the SUV and fired five shots at Martinez, hitting her in the right leg and right forearm.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 3: Marimar Martinez, who was shot 5 times by immigration enforcement agents in Chicago, testifies during a public forum on the violent use of force by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents, at the Dirksen Senate Offic
The next day, she was charged with assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with a federal officer, but the charges were later dropped.
Still, Martinez's lawyers said several Trump administration officials slandered her as a domestic terrorist and said they would sue the federal government.