His car moved forward very slowly in the moments before Homeland Security Investigations [#HSI] Agent Jack C. Stevens fired 3 shots into Martinez’s blue Ford sedan. The footage does not show Martinez speeding up rapidly or appearing to target a second HSI agent, Hector Sosa.

Martinez was under the influence of alcohol & had marijuana in his system [IRRELEVANT], acc/to autopsy records, as different officers allowed him to keep going & shouted at him to stop.

#Trump #law #murder #UseOfForce

Sosa told investigators that Martinez’s car struck his legs, causing him to fall over the hood before Stevens opened fire. It is not clear from the nighttime footage whether the exceptionally slow-moving car actually hit Sosa. Footage from a nearby business shows the hood of the Ford. But the video is grainy & skips through some portions & does not definitively show whether there is a figure on top of the hood.

#Trump #law #murder #ExcessiveForce #UseOfForce #HSI #ICE #CBP #Sturmabteilung

Geoffrey P. Alpert, a professor of criminology & criminal justice at the University of South Carolina, said the chaotic scene, & its handling by law enforcement, raises “a lot of red flags.”

“The contradictory orders are confusing & may have been a strong influence,” Alpert said. “The speed is slow & doesn’t appear threatening. Could the officer have moved away? At worst, all he has to do is step aside. We call it officer-created jeopardy.”

#Trump #law #murder #UseOfForce #HSI #ICE #CBP

The body-camera & surveillance footage was released along with witness statements & other material after a grand jury in #Texas declined to indict Stevens in connection with Martinez’s death.

In an emailed statement, acting #ICE director Todd Lyons said: “We stand by the grand jury’s unanimous decision that found no criminality. This incident was investigated from every possible angle by an independent body, & it cleared our officer.”

#Trump #law #murder #UseOfForce #HSI #CBP #Sturmabteilung