Journalism advocates on Thursday accused a senior Homeland Security official of personally deploying tear gas into a Chicago protest “without justification” in defiance of a judge’s orders.
Chicago Headline Club, the lead plaintiff in a case challenging Homeland Security’s crowd control tactics, submitted a video to the court that it said showed Border Patrol Commander-at-large Gregory Bovino tossing a canister into a group of protesters.
The protesters immediately start shouting, “Tear gas!”
“In the video, Defendant Bovino appears to throw either one or two gas canisters over the heads of armed federal agents in front of him and in the direction of a crowd of individuals protesting, including an individual filming the encounter,” wrote Steve Art, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.
He said the action “violates multiple paragraphs” of the temporary restraining order U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis issued earlier this month.
Judge Ellis barred federal officers in northern Illinois from dispersing crowds from public spaces absent exigent circumstances, and from using tear gas and other stern riot control weapons unless there is a threat to someone’s safety.
The Washington Times has sought comment from the Border Patrol and Homeland Security on the new allegations.
Mr. Art said the events took place in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago.
It’s not clear from the video of Thursday’s confrontation what the federal agents were doing, though the unruly crowd appears eager to confront uniformed and masked officers, getting close to them and shouting in their faces.
Border Patrol agents are seen on camera pushing some protesters away, drawing angry denunciations from the demonstrators.
The woman taking the video keeps a running, profane commentary calling the federal agents “killers” and “traffickers” and “terrorists.”
“We’re speaking for our people because we’re mad, we’re furious,” the self-identified “Mexican” woman screams. “I’m a citizen and this is not [expletive] right.”
Chief Bovino has become a major target for criticism by Trump critics.
He led this summer’s immigration enforcement surge in Los Angeles and is now in Chicago.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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