Chicago Police Told to Stand Down as Border Patrol Agent Fires at Protester, Body-Camera Footage Reveals.
Newly released body-camera footage shows that Chicago police were ordered to hold back during a confrontation between protesters and federal agents in Brighton Park last month. The order came from the chief of patrol, Jon Hein, which sparked an intense backlash among community members and officials.
According to the footage, protesters had surrounded federal agents, who were in the area for immigration enforcement. A car driven by Marimar Martinez collided with a federal vehicle, prompting agents to jump out. Martinez allegedly drove towards one of them, leading to a five-shot exchange between the agent and her vehicle before she fled the scene.
As agents requested assistance from Chicago police, dispatchers instructed officers not to respond to 39th and Kedzie Avenue, citing "the chief of patrol." However, in another video, it is revealed that several minutes later, a lieutenant confirmed that they were not sending anyone over to assist, despite protesters shouting for protection.
The footage shows several officers discussing the order and one officer even speaking with federal agents about the collision for the traffic accident report. Protesters can be heard jeering at the police and using expletives, while some officers seem frustrated by the situation, stating they are only there for crowd control.
Despite the initial instruction to stand down, the scene was eventually secured when federal agents deployed tear gas and other riot-control munitions in the neighborhood before leaving. Unfortunately, this led to over two dozen Chicago police officers being injured throughout the day.
The incident has sparked heated debate about police accountability and their role in immigration enforcement. With officials claiming that police will not assist in federal immigration enforcement, which is barred by state and local laws, some are questioning why officers were initially told to hold back.
Newly released body-camera footage shows that Chicago police were ordered to hold back during a confrontation between protesters and federal agents in Brighton Park last month. The order came from the chief of patrol, Jon Hein, which sparked an intense backlash among community members and officials.
According to the footage, protesters had surrounded federal agents, who were in the area for immigration enforcement. A car driven by Marimar Martinez collided with a federal vehicle, prompting agents to jump out. Martinez allegedly drove towards one of them, leading to a five-shot exchange between the agent and her vehicle before she fled the scene.
As agents requested assistance from Chicago police, dispatchers instructed officers not to respond to 39th and Kedzie Avenue, citing "the chief of patrol." However, in another video, it is revealed that several minutes later, a lieutenant confirmed that they were not sending anyone over to assist, despite protesters shouting for protection.
The footage shows several officers discussing the order and one officer even speaking with federal agents about the collision for the traffic accident report. Protesters can be heard jeering at the police and using expletives, while some officers seem frustrated by the situation, stating they are only there for crowd control.
Despite the initial instruction to stand down, the scene was eventually secured when federal agents deployed tear gas and other riot-control munitions in the neighborhood before leaving. Unfortunately, this led to over two dozen Chicago police officers being injured throughout the day.
The incident has sparked heated debate about police accountability and their role in immigration enforcement. With officials claiming that police will not assist in federal immigration enforcement, which is barred by state and local laws, some are questioning why officers were initially told to hold back.
. I mean, it's clear that the situation was volatile, but who gets to decide when it's okay for police to step in or stand down? It seems like there are definitely some communication breakdowns happening here... like, what exactly were they thinking with that order? 
Either way, I think this incident highlights how complicated and messy things can get when there are multiple stakeholders involved... 
that's some messed up police work right there. And what's with all the footwork from dispatch? "The chief of patrol"? More like the chief of doing nothing... 
! I mean, I get it, the protesters were being super aggressive and stuff, but come on, police gotta do their job, right? 
The fact that they're getting heat for standing down because of some order from above is wild 
. And can we talk about how Marimar Martinez just drove towards one of the agents?! 
That's like, whoa! But at the same time, I'm all about police accountability and making sure they're not putting themselves in harm's way or enforcing laws that aren't even theirs to enforce 
. It's a tricky situation, but we gotta keep having these conversations and find ways to resolve stuff peacefully 
.
They're basically private security, not public service... 
What's the point of even having a police department if ur not gonna do ur job? 
And what's up w/ the chief of patrol Jon Hein ordering them 2 stand down without clear reason? 
This is all just soooo messed up... 