Additional Coverage:
- Border Patrol chief hauled to court after being accused of throwing tear gas at protestors (themirror.com)
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Under Fire in Chicago Amid Allegations of Violating Restraining Order
CHICAGO – U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino is facing intense scrutiny in Chicago following an incident on Thursday where he was filmed throwing what appeared to be a tear gas canister at a group of protestors. This action has led local attorneys to accuse him of violating a temporary restraining order (TRO) that prohibits the use of tear gas, pepper spray, and other tactics against journalists and protestors unless there is an imminent threat.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that Bovino was struck in the head by a rock thrown by “hostile and violent” protestors. However, this claim has been challenged by several witnesses present at the scene.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis ordered Bovino to appear before a federal judge on Tuesday.
“The Court orders Defendants to produce Defendant Gregory Bovino, in person, for this hearing,” Judge Ellis stated in her written order. Bovino is already under a separate court order to provide a deposition in the same federal case, which alleges excessive force by immigration officers.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys formally notified the federal judge on Thursday, stating, “This action violates multiple paragraphs of this Court’s TRO,” and included video footage and a still image of Bovino throwing the canister in their filing. DHS, in a statement to The Mirror U.S., expressed confidence in Bovino, saying, “DHS can think of nobody better to correct Judge Ellis’s deep misconceptions about its mission, and we thank him for his service.”
The incident, which occurred in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, shows Bovino in military fatigues and without a helmet, appearing to throw a canister into a crowd protesting an immigration arrest. Immigration officials contend that Bovino acted after rocks were thrown at him and “rioters” discharged “commercial artillery shell fireworks” at officers.
“The mob of rioters grew more hostile and violent, advancing toward agents and began throwing rocks and other objects at agents, including one that struck Chief Greg Bovino in the head,” a DHS statement read. It further claimed, “Border Patrol agents repeated multiple warnings to back up and that chemical agents would be deployed if warnings were ignored.”
However, videos obtained by NBC News from moments before Bovino deployed the canister show objects falling near agents, but none clearly depict Bovino being struck before he threw the canister.
Illinois State Senator Celina Villanueva, who witnessed Thursday’s confrontation in Little Village, told NBC News that authorities did not issue any warning before deploying tear gas. “They started throwing tear gas at people even as people were running away.
They grabbed people who were running away to get to safety,” she stated. “None of it was announced, they don’t even identify themselves so no, everything that they claim are lies.”
Another witness, Yani Sotelo, captured the scene in a lengthy video shared on social media, asserting, “No one hit him with a rock. You can clearly see in the video.”
Judge Ellis had previously mandated that federal immigration officers must wear body cameras if available and ensure they are activated. It remains unclear whether Bovino or any other agents present were equipped with body cameras or if they were turned on during the incident.