CHICAGO (WLS) — ABC7 has obtained exclusive body camera footage capturing a shooting incident involving a federal agent in Chicago.
This incident took place in October during the initial phase of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign, “Midway Blitz,” in the Brighton Park area of the city.
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On the morning of October 4, Customs and Border Protection agents were seen with weapons drawn. Outside, a series of vehicles were tailing them as they operated near 39th Street and Kedzie Avenue.
“Honk all you want,” one of the agents is heard saying in the video.
Another agent can be heard saying, “Do something, [expletive].”
An agent further instructs, “Alright, it’s time to get aggressive and get the [expletive] out, ’cause they’re trying to box us in.”
“We’re going to make contact, and we’re boxed in,” an agent can be heard saying.
Seconds later, through the trigger guard of a long gun, Border Patrol Agent Charles Exum, who was driving, can be seen pulling the steering wheel to the left.
An agent said, “Be advised, we’ve been struck! We’ve been struck!”
The vehicle stopped and agents jumped out. Moments later, you can hear a quick succession of gunshots.
Five shots rang out, hitting 30-year-old Marimar Martinez before video shows her silver Nissan Rogue driving past the agents.
Martinez says that after that moment, she realized she was bleeding from multiple wounds, and she saw her life flash before her eyes. She drove to a nearby auto shop for help, and she was rushed to the hospital, where she was later arrested.
The Department of Homeland Security accused her of ramming the agents with her car, calling her a “domestic terrorist.”
At the scene, another driver in a black SUV turned around and sped away.
“Don’t you (expletive) move!” one agent can be heard saying.
That man was also later arrested and charged alongside Martinez. But weeks later, charges against both were dismissed after defense attorneys argued that it was the agents who hit Martinez.
Video shows a long scrape on the rear-left side of the agents’ vehicle.
After firing the shots, Exum can be heard giving his account of what happened.
“She had already hit my vehicle. We got out to defend. She came forward, and that’s when I opened up on her,” Exum said.
Another agent said, “The vehicle attempted to run the agent over.”
The release of materials also shows Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, hours after the shooting, praising Exum in this email for his “excellent service in Chicago” and offering to “extend your retirement beyond age 57.”
A federal judge dismissed the case against Martinez with prejudice, meaning that the case was terminated completely.
After immigration agents’ recent fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Martinez said she was compelled to ask the court to release all evidence in her dismissed criminal case to clear her name.
This past Friday, a judge ruled in her favor.
And earlier this month, Martinez testified about this incident on Capitol Hill. She said her testimony is evidence of a pattern of lies told by the federal government.
According to previous court testimony in this case, federal prosecutors revealed that there is an “ongoing and pending criminal investigation” into the Martinez shooting, with an outside U.S. attorney’s office still retaining possession of Martinez’s car.
DHS officials have said they still stand by their previous statements about this shooting.
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