Overview
- Plaintiffs’ late-night filing says Gregory Bovino admitted tossing the first tear‑gas canister in Little Village, described protesters as violent rioters, urged officers to “go hard,” and told them to arrest people for “hyperbolic comments,” though a full transcript remains under seal.
- In a new interview, Bovino defends aggressive tactics in Operation Midway Blitz, says more than 3,200 arrests have been made since September, embraces the use of CS gas as necessary, and calls his teams “sanctuary busters.”
- The Seventh Circuit stayed Judge Sara Ellis’s order requiring Bovino to deliver daily use‑of‑force briefings, while her restrictions requiring body cameras, conspicuous identification, warnings, and reporting remain in effect.
- Judge Ellis indicated questions about Bovino’s communications with Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem could be relevant to his use‑of‑force decisions, after a contentious deposition where a DOJ lawyer said he felt “sandbagged.”
- Key incidents remain disputed, including whether agents warned before using gas in Little Village, as the court prepares for a preliminary injunction hearing where portions of Bovino’s videotaped testimony could be used or partially unsealed.