Judge Calls Trump’s Border Commander A Lying Liar – Above the Law

U.S.
Border
Patrol
commander
Gregory
Bovino,
head
of
the
Trump
administration’s
military
presence
in
Chicago,
“Operation
Midway
Blitz,”
is
in
the
hot
seat.
That’s
been
true
for
a
minute,
since
there
are
some
pretty
serious
allegations
(and
video!)
that
federal
agents
—
and
Bovino,
specifically
—

violated
a
temporary
restraining
order
issued
by
U.S.
District
Court
Judge
Sara
Ellis.
A
group
of
journalists,
protesters,
and
clergy
sued
the
Trump
administration over
the
military
occupation
of
Chicago,
and
Ellis
issued
a
TRO
limiting
the
tactics
federal
agents
can
use.
Amongst
the
banned
methods
of
riot
control
include
the
use
of
tear
gas
unless
there
is
an
immediate
safety
threat.
But
then
Bovino
was
caught
on
camera
throwing
canisters
of
tear
gas
into
a
crowd
without
any
warnings
or
verbal
orders
to
disperse.

So,
Judge
Ellis

hauled
Bovino
into
her
courtroom
to
figure
out
what
in
the
hell
is
going
on
in
the
streets
of
Chicago.
And
from
all
indications,
Ellis
was
deeply
concerned
with
the
brutal
tactics
being
used
by
federal
forces.

Today,
Judge
Ellis
upgraded
the
TRO
to
a
preliminary
injunction
and
eviscerated
Bovino’s
actions.
In
deposition
testimony,
Bovino
had
justified
his
use
of
tear
gas,
saying
he
was
hit
in
the
head
with
a
rock
before
deploying
the
noxious
gas.
“Video
evidence
ultimately
disproved
this,”
said
Ellis.

“Defendant
Bovino
admitted
that
he
lied,”
she
said.

“I
find
the
defendant’s
evidence
simply
not
credible,”
Ellis
said.
“I
watched
the
defendants’
videos,”
she
continued.
“This,
and
hours
and
hours
and
hours
of
bodycam
video
and
video
from
helicopters
was
the
best
they
could
provide.
”

Ellis
went
further,
saying
the
government’s
depiction
of
what
is
going
on
in
Chicago
“is
untrue,”
and
protesters
are
being
“threatened
and
harmed
for
exercising
their
constitutional
rights.”
The
tactics
and
behavior
of
the
occupying
forces
“shocks
the
conscience”
and Judge
Ellis

said she
was
“ordering
complete
relief
to
the
plaintiffs.”

---

Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of

The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of

Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
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