Newly released body camera footage further undermines the Trump administration’s efforts to falsely portray Marimar Martinez—who was shot multiple times by Border Patrol agent Charles Exum in October—as a “domestic terrorist.” Federal prosecutors shared three videos on Tuesday evening after a federal judge ruled last week that the footage and other evidence could be made public.

The videos released on Tuesday shed further light on why prosecutors dropped charges against Martinez rather than try to bring a case against her to trial.

The newly released evidence is also part of a pattern. It is one of many examples of DHS immigration agents lying and providing false information to justify shootings and other uses of excessive force against US citizens and immigrants. These claims have collapsed again and again once DHS is forced to defend them in court.

Martinez’s case follows this pattern. DHS initially claimed their force was justified because Border Patrol agents “were ambushed by domestic terrorists that rammed federal agents with their vehicles.” Once in court, evidence showed something much different. Like in the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, DHS might have gotten away with its false claims about Martinez were it not for the video evidence that contradicted its account.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QDN2LZ7WcDM

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LTnOPKm9WR8&pp=0gcJCUABo7VqN5tD

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Martinez’s shooting caused nationwide outrage, particularly after it was revealed that Exum had bragged about shooting Martinez. “Read it,” he wrote in one message after being sent an article about the incident. “5 shots, 7 holes.” He continued: “I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book boys.”

The videos released on Tuesday shed further light on why prosecutors dropped charges against Martinez rather than try to bring a case against her to trial.

One of the videos released on Tuesday shows the perspective of a federal agent sitting behind Exum as he drives an SUV in Chicago. As drivers appear to honk at Border Patrol, one of the agents in the vehicle can be heard saying, “do something bitch.” About twenty seconds later, a Border Patrol agent says: “It’s time to get aggressive and get the fuck out because they’re trying to box us in.”

Video in article