From Alt Nat'l Parks:
A disturbing case out of Chicago is drawing national outrage. Federal records show that U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agent Charles Exum (assigned to a Homeland Security task force) shot U.S. citizen Marimar Martinez five times on October 4 in the city’s Brighton Park neighborhood.
Martinez, who had been warning others about nearby immigration enforcement activity, said Exum’s government SUV rammed her car first. Prosecutors later claimed he fired in self-defense after her vehicle struck his.
But evidence presented in court tells a darker story. In a Signal group chat with other federal agents that he described as a “support group,” Exum bragged:
“I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book, boys.”
Court records also show Exum requested repairs to his government vehicle soon after the shooting, repairs he said were “routine”. However, FBI interview notes indicate he made that request after the incident, raising questions about whether the work was meant to cover up damage from when he struck Martinez’s car.
Meanwhile, the woman who was shot (Martinez) has been indicted, not the agent who opened fire and drove into her car. She and another man, Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, face federal charges of impeding a federal officer with a “deadly weapon” (her car which was hit) and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
The agent remains uncharged. Together, the bragging texts, the post-shooting vehicle repairs(cover up), and the prosecution of the victim paint a chilling picture of federal impunity and raise urgent questions about who the justice system protects when government agents shoot American citizens and then attempt to cover it up.
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