Overview
- Text messages shown in federal court on Nov. 5 quote Agent Charles Exum boasting about shooting a woman five times, and he testified that he is a firearms instructor proud of his marksmanship.
- Prosecutors have charged Marimar Martínez, 30, and Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, 21, with attacking a federal agent with a deadly or dangerous weapon.
- DHS says agents were surrounded by vehicles and acted in self-defense and that Martínez had a semiautomatic firearm, while defense filings say a Border Patrol truck struck her car first.
- Defense attorneys raised evidence-preservation concerns after Exum’s truck was taken from Chicago to his station in Maine and scuff marks were polished, though photos were taken beforehand.
- On Nov. 6 U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis ordered tighter limits on federal agents’ use of force against peaceful protesters and journalists in Chicago, a ruling expected to be appealed by the administration.