A judge just opened the door to evidence that could challenge the federal government's account of a Border Patrol shooting of a Chicago woman. US District Judge Georgia Alexakis said Friday that body-camera video and text messages from agent Charles Exum, who shot 30-year-old teacher's assistant Marimar Martinez five times in October, can be released once other individuals' identities are obscured. That could happen as early as Monday, Martinez's attorney said. The video and messages could shed light on whether Exum fired in self-defense or, as Martinez's team says, within seconds of exiting his vehicle, the New York Times reports.
The material comes from a now-dropped criminal case that accused Martinez of assaulting federal officers after she followed an SUV carrying agents, honking and shouting "La migra" to alert residents. The Trump administration later labeled the incident "domestic terrorism," and Martinez wants the government to correct the record. In court, government lawyers argued the texts' release would only "sully" Exum and others; the judge countered, "I don't know why the United States government has expressed zero concern for the sullying of Ms. Martinez's reputation," per NBC News. Alexakis also said Martinez had shown the messages rebut the government narrative. Among those texts was an apparent boast by Exum: "I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book boys."
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