Introduction to the Incident
Body-camera video of a Border Patrol agent involved in the shooting of a woman who was allegedly chasing agents in Brighton Park over the weekend shows an officer saying, “Do something, b—-,” before pulling over and shooting the woman five times, the woman’s attorney said in federal court Monday. The video appears to contradict the government’s allegation that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire on her late Saturday morning on Kedzie Avenue near 39th Street, her attorney, Christopher Parente, said at a detention hearing at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.
Detention Hearing and Release
U.S. District Judge Heather McShain denied a request by the federal government to detain Martinez and Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, 21, pending trial. Martinez and Ruiz, who wore orange jumpsuits for the detention hearing, were charged Sunday with felony assault of a federal officer. The judge said it “is a miracle to me that no one was more seriously injured” in the incident in which Martinez and Ruiz allegedly followed agents for more than 20 minutes as they drove after conducting an operation in Oak Lawn. But she said the defendants’ lack of criminal history and extensive family and community ties compelled her to release them pending trial.
Details of the Incident
According to the eight-page criminal complaint, prosecutors say Martinez and Ruiz were driving separate vehicles in a “convoy” that was following agents, disobeying traffic signals and driving “aggressively” to chase the federal vehicles. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Hennessy told the judge that Martinez had been following agents for 30 minutes, and Ruiz had been following agents for 20 minutes before the shooting. As she drove, Martinez was broadcasting on Facebook Live for more than 2 minutes, Hennessy said. Video captures her repeatedly sounding her horn and following the vehicles, Hennessy said. In the charges filed Sunday, prosecutors notably did not mention a loaded gun in Martinez’s car that was referenced in a previous statement by the Department of Homeland Security. But in court Monday, Hennessy said Martinez had a loaded firearm on the passenger side of her car but never brandished it. Martinez’s attorney, Parente, said she has a valid firearm and concealed-carry license.
Body-Camera Video Disputes Government’s Version
Parente also offered to play an agent’s body-camera video that shows the shooting, noting that prosecutors did not show the video that he claimed disputes the government’s version of the shooting. Parente said the video shows an agent turn a federal vehicle left into Martinez’s vehicle, after which an agent says, “Do something b—-.” The agent then exits the vehicle and shoots at Martinez. Parente said Martinez has “seven holes” in her from the shooting and that agents were in such a hurry to take her into custody at the hospital that they had to return later when Martinez began bleeding from her wounds. Parente disputed the government’s claim that Martinez is a danger to the community and should be detained, saying instead that the officer who shot her was a threat. “I think there’s a danger to the community, but I don’t think it’s Ms. Martinez,” he said.
Background of the Defendants
Martinez is a U.S. citizen, works for a school and had several supportive letters about her character filed with the court, Parente said. Ruiz is also a U.S. citizen and self-employed as a deejay, his attorney, Ben Horowitz, said. The shooting on Saturday led to a heated confrontation between federal agents and nearly 100 protesters. It was one of several protests that have flared up since President Donald Trump’s administration kicked off “Operation Midway Blitz” last month.
New Video Footage
Meanwhile, video footage obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times appears to show three of the vehicles the feds say were involved in the shooting just before it happens. The vehicles match descriptions and photos included in the criminal complaint, which alleges that a white Chevy Tahoe being driven by Border Patrol agents was followed by Martinez in a silver Nissan Rogue and Ruiz, who was behind the wheel of a black GMC Envoy. In the video captured by security cameras at a tire shop on the 4000 block of South Kedzie, a white Tahoe can be seen being closely followed by a silver Nissan and black GMC with a Mexican flag decoration on its hood.
Aftermath and Investigation
After the shooting, Martinez drove herself to Big Rig Oil Pros at 35th Street and California Avenue, parked her bullet-riddled Nissan SUV in the parking lot and walked inside, the shop manager told the Sun-Times Monday. Employees of Big Rig Oil Pros in Brighton Park treated Marimar Martinez after she was shot Saturday. FBI agents later showed up and put red crime scene tape around the building.
<img class="Image" alt="Red crime scene tape lies on the ground attached to the gate at Big Rig Oil Pros in Brighton Park, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. Earlier in the day, a woman drove to the auto shop seeking help after being shot by federal agents nearby. | Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times. " srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9de4651/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192×5464+0+0/resize/840×560!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fc2%2F3c%2F82bebd3d4544a43600c89c045740%2Ficeshooting-100525-0059.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0c16b15/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192×5464+0+0/resize/1680×1120!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fc2%2F3c%2F82bebd3d4544a43600c89c045740%2Ficeshooting-100525-0059.jpg 2x" width="840" height="560" src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9de4651/2147483647/strip/true/crop/8192×5464+0+0/resize/840×560!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fc2%2F3c%2F82bebd3d4544a43600c89c045740%2Ficeshooting-100525-0059.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" bad-src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAw
