Body Camera Footage Unveils Chicago Border Patrol Shooting Incident
On Tuesday, newly released body camera video captured the critical moments before and after the shooting of Marimar Martinez in Chicago in 2025. According to NBC News, Martinez was shot five times by a Border Patrol agent after being accused of using her car to assault federal officers, but the charges were dismissed in November.
Details from the Released Video and Agent Actions
The video, from another agent's camera, shows agents in a vehicle with weapons drawn. One agent is heard saying, "It's time to get aggressive and get the f--- out, because they're trying to box us in." Another responds, "We're going to make contact, and we're boxed in." Agent Charles Exum, who shot Martinez, was not wearing his body camera during the incident, as stated by Martinez's attorney.
In the footage, Exum is seen turning the steering wheel sharply left, followed by an apparent collision jolt. He exits the vehicle, and shortly after, five gunshots are heard off-camera.
Text Messages Show Support for Agent After Shooting
Text messages to and from Exum revealed he received "big time" support following the shooting. When asked if people were supportive, he wrote, "Everyone has been including Chief Bovino, Chief Banks, Sec Noem and El Jefe himself ... according to Bovino," referring to former Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "El Jefe" means "the boss" in Spanish.
Hours after the shooting, Bovino, who has since been removed from his post and returned to El Centro, California, emailed Exum offering to extend his retirement beyond age 57, citing "excellent service in Chicago."
Legal Responses and Public Statements
Martinez and her attorneys issued a statement before the evidence release, asserting, "This evidence conclusively rebuts the false narratives that Ms. Martinez was anything but a victim of a horrific violent crime." Her attorney, Chris Parente, emphasized at a news conference that releasing the materials was crucial for the public to see real evidence versus false government claims.
Parente defended Martinez as a Montessori school teacher with no criminal record, on her way to donate clothes to a church when the encounter began. He highlighted that after the charges were dismissed, Martinez faced being labeled a "domestic terrorist" by the government, which he called unacceptable.
Following a federal judge's ruling to release the texts, Parente noted Exum's messages, where he joked about the shooting in a group chat: "I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book boys." In another message, he shared a news article and wrote, "Read it. 5 shots, 7 holes."
Government and Legal Proceedings
Government attorneys stated that prosecutors in South Bend, Indiana, are handling a probe into the shooting. Exum is on administrative leave, "consistent with policy," according to a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson.
After charges against Martinez were dropped with prejudice, her legal team linked the case to fatal shootings in Minneapolis, urging transparency in how Department of Homeland Security leaders respond to officer-involved shootings. Parente warned, "It will continue to happen in city after city when the bosses of these Border Patrol agents do what they do in the immediate aftermath of a shooting."
Background on Martinez's Case
Martinez was accused of using her car to assault and impede federal law enforcement, with charges dismissed after prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss. Her case is a high-profile example of federal authorities accusing civilians of ramming into immigration agent vehicles.
Recently, Martinez gave emotional testimony at a Capitol Hill forum organized by Democratic senators, describing herself as a survivor shot by DHS and then labeled a "domestic terrorist."
