The federal agent who shot a Chicago woman five times in the fall was placed on administrative leave, a spokesperson for the U.S. Border Patrol announced Wednesday — one day after a slew of evidence related to the shooting was released.
A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection said for the first time on Wednesday that Agent Charles Exum was placed on administrative leave, a move that is “consistent with policy.”
“CBP is committed to the highest standards of conduct, transparency, and accountability. All significant use-of-force incidents are thoroughly investigated, reviewed, and presented to the National Use of Force Review Board (NUFRB), an independent body comprised of senior CBP officials and representatives from DHS and DOJ, including the DOJ Civil Rights Division,” the spokesperson said in the statement sent Wednesday.
The announcement comes one day after the public release of body camera footage, text messages, flock camera footage and other evidence the October morning Exum shot Chicago woman Marimar Martinez in Brighton Park.
Martinez requested the evidence be released as it would allow her to “defend herself from a regrettable and unyielding tide of misinformation from the federal government regarding her case,” according to court documents.
Included in the evidence released Tuesday is an email then “Operation Midway Blitz” chief Greg Bovino in which Bovino praises Exum and offers to extend his mandatory retirement at 57 “in light of [his] excellent service in Chicago.” The email was sent approximately 4 hours after Exum shot Martinez.
Messages between Agent Exum and his so-called “posse” were also released, showing Exum was praised by other agents for the shooting. One of them called him a “legend among agents.”
In another text, Exum says his superiors were “big time” supportive of him after the shooting.
“Everyone has been including Chief Bovino, Chief Banks, Sec Noam and El Jefe himself… according to Bovino,” the text from Exum reads.
Attorney Chris Parente, who is representing Martinez, said at a press conference announcing the filing of a multi-million-dollar civil lawsuit on Wednesday that the U.S. government is not telling the truth about the shooting.
“We live in a strange time right now. We cannot trust our federal government,” Parente said.
The three body camera videos and more than 200 pages of photos and texts paint a picture of a “culture of violence” within Operation Midway Blitz, attorneys said.
Attorney Mike Gallagher said he has confidence that Martinez will find justice in Chicago’s Federal courts.
