Judge Dismisses Charges Against Chicago Woman Shot By ICE
Judge Dismisses Charges Against Chicago Woman Shot By Border Patrol
In early September, Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents began Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago. Saying it has not gone smoothly would be an understatement.
Border Patrol’s aggressive use-of-force tactics in Chicago have repeatedly landed them in court. One of the most notable cases involves Marimar Martinez, a woman who was shot several times by Border Patrol agents, who accused her and Anthony Ruiz of ambushing and assaulting them. A federal judge handed Border Patrol another legal L on Thursday after dismissing the charges filed against Martinez and Ruiz.
According to ABC News, U.S. District Judge Georgia Alexakis dismissed the assault charges with prejudice at the Department of Justice’s request. As a result, charges cannot be filed against Martinez and Ruiz for the incident again.
“We appreciate the U.S. attorney being thoughtful in agreeing to dismiss this,” Christopher Parente told ABC News after the ruling. Parente added that Marimar Martinez didn’t deserve to be shot and that they are “going to work on getting her justice.”
On Oct. 4, Marimar Martinez was on her way to donate some clothes when she learned that Border Patrol was operating in the area. She began tailing a car driven by Border Patrol agent Charles Exum. Border Patrol alleged that Martinez and Ruiz rammed their cars into the Border Patrol vehicle and boxed them in.
Once the cars came to a stop, Exum could be heard saying, “Do something, b–ch,” before shooting her five times. They also accused Martinez of carrying a semi-automatic weapon and that the shooting was in self-defense. Martinez did have a pistol in her purse, but she had a license to conceal carry, and footage shows that at no point during the incident did she pull it out. No weapons charges were filed against her.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Alexakis already had her concerns about how Border Patrol handled the investigation into the shooting. Shortly after the incident, Exum took the vehicle involved in the incident 1,000 miles away to his Border Patrol station in Maine.
Witness accounts and surveillance footage of the incident also didn’t match up with Border Patrol’s narrative of what led to the shooting. The shooting resulted in over 100 people confronting the federal agents, resulting in Border Patrol firing pepper balls and tear gas at them.
The more information that came out about the case, the more Alexakis began to push back against the discrepancies in Border Patrol’s narrative. It was also revealed in court that Exum bragged about the shooting in text messages with other Border Patrol agents. He sent an article about the shooting to his fellow agents and wrote, “I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book boys.” Those text messages were likely what led to the Department of Justice requesting the charges be dropped.
Border Patrol’s use of force in Chicago has repeatedly landed them in court. Due to their flagrant use of tear gas, a federal judge limited their ability to do so in Chicago. Of course, court orders mean nothing to a group of people who think they’re above the law. After seeing footage of Border Patrol agents violating her order, the judge then required Border Patrol agents to wear body cameras.
Operation Midway Blitz has exposed the recklessness and cruelty of Border Patrol, ICE, and the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. While Marimar Martinez’s shooting is horrific, thankfully, she’s alive and is not facing punishment for Exum’s cruelty.
After the charges were dismissed, Martinez thanked the judge and all who supported her throughout the ordeal. “I’m just grateful for everything. I’m just happy. I’m excited.” Martinez told reporters after the hearing. “Put that in your books, Exum,” she added.
Talk that talk, girl. Talk that talk.
SEE ALSO:
Judge Blasts Border Patrol Over Chicago Case ‘Discrepancies’
Witness Accounts Of Chicago ICE Shooting Contradict DHS
Judge Dismisses Charges Against Chicago Woman Shot By Border Patrol was originally published on newsone.com
