I have been chided for not remarking on a recent story here in Chicago. Andy Koval, Jenna Barnes, and Ethan Illers report at WGN:
CHICAGO — Prosecutors Thursday filed a motion to dismiss charges against Marimar Martinez, the woman shot by Border Patrol after allegedly ramming a federal vehicle. The charges against the 21-year-old man also involved were filed to be dismissed as well.
“I’m just blessed. I’m happy. God is good,” Martinez said. “I’m just grateful for everything. Thank you to my attorneys. They did a great job. To my family in the background, I’m just happy. I’m excited.”
The incident unfolded Oct. 4 near 39th and Kedzie in the city’s Brighton Park neighborhood after federal border patrol agents claimed they were followed for miles by a convoy of civilian vehicles.
Prosecutors allege Martinez and the aforementioned 21-year-old, Anthony Ruiz, used their vehicles to barricade and ultimately hit the agents’ SUV to block them in.
When the agents got out, prosecutors claimed Martinez drove her vehicle directly at one of them and a border patrol agent then shot her.
“He’s going to pay for those shots,” attorney Chris Parente said.
She transported herself to a nearby hospital after the shooting.
Parente fired back at federal authorities and claimed federal agents were the real danger to the community, not his client.
“These agents were lying about what happened. Ms. Martinez never rammed anybody. These agents hit Ms. Martinez. These agents got out and shot Ms. Martinez, whose only crime was warning her community that ICE was in the neighborhood acting in a way that multiple judges in this building have said is unlawful,” Parente said.
Federal judge Heather McShain disagreed with prosecutors and said the Martinez and Ruiz, who do not have a criminal history, should be able to be free on bond before their trial, specifically citing Martinez’s gunshot wounds — so she can get proper medical care.
The motion to dismiss the charges against Martinez and Ruiz did not provide an explanation.
The court hearing is scheduled for 4 p.m. where the judge will likely grant that the charges are dismissed.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois released the following statement.
“As the United States Attorney has stated repeatedly in his public comments, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is constantly evaluating new facts and information relating to cases and investigations arising out of Operation Midway Blitz, the largest ever law enforcement surge in the Northern District of Illinois. This continuous review process applies to all matters—whether charged or under investigation. It helps ensure that the interests of justice are served in each and every case, and that those cases that are charged are appropriately adjudicated through our federal court system.”
The charges were dismissed. I had intended to remark on these events but was waiting for a “hook”. None was forthcoming so I’ll just make a few observations here.
I find these events horrifying and baffling at many levels. I believe in enforcing the law routinely and dispassionately but what I’m seeing is not the rule of law but anarchy and it goes back for years.
Obstruction of justice is lawless behavior. Ramming law enforcement vehicles or blocking them in is lawless behavior. “Rough justice” is lawless behavior. Shooting a woman who is no threat and has done nothing wrong is lawless behavior. Law enforcement officers lying about their own behavior is lawless behavior.
Dismissing all charges against Ms. Martinez and Mr. Ruiz without filing charges against the law enforcement officers involved is lawless behavior. You can’t have it both ways.
And on top of it all we have activists rather than journalists with little or no real reporting going on. We don’t actually know what happened. We do know what the defense attorneys said but that is pretty flabby reporting.
