U.S. Border agent accused of calling migrants 'savages' before knocking one over

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

U.S. MAY 20, 2019 / 1:08 PM / UPDATED 4 HOURS AGO

U.S. Border agent accused of calling migrants 'savages' before knocking one over

Andrew Hay
3 MIN READ

(Reuters) - A U.S. Border Patrol agent had called migrants “subhuman” and “savages” in text messages weeks before he knocked over a migrant with a pickup truck, according to federal court documents.

Agent Matthew Bowen sent the messages in November 2017, two weeks before he is accused of deliberately knocking over a Guatemalan man with his Border Patrol vehicle in Nogales, Arizona, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Tucson.

Prosecutors Monica Ryan and Lori Price filed the documents on April 30 with a request to use the messages in court to show Bowen’s “state of mind” prior to the incident and his “willful” intent to knock over the migrant on Dec. 3, 2017. They said the messages showed Bowen’s “great disdain for the aliens” and “dissatisfaction with restrictions Border Patrol placed on its agents in how they could apprehend aliens.”

Defense lawyer Sean Chapman, in a May 10 response to block release of the messages, said the case turned on whether Bowen, by using his truck to stop the fleeing individual, used excessive force.

“Text messages using such language is not admissible because Mr. Bowen’s alleged ‘disdain’ for aliens is not relevant to the issues before the jury,” Chapman wrote.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-agent/u-s-border-agent-accused-of-calling-migrants-savages-before-knocking-one-over-idUSKCN1SQ1UY

[Kurt V.]

1. Knocked one over? what bull. he ran the man over!

[gtar100]

2. My God, we seem to hire the worst people for positions of law enforcement.

The job shouldn't be about some personal vendetta or chance to act out on prejudices and biases. This asshole should not only be fired but the guy who hired him should be as well. We ought not be giving the license to stop, detain, arrest, use weapons, and drive fast, all with impunity, to bullies and thugs who act like their badge makes them better than others. So sick of "cop" attitude. We have to do better or we'll be letting these kind of cretins continue making our lives miserable.

On a side note, it looks like the Denver Police Department got the message to keep it white. I guess people of color don't want to be cops. Weird.

Link to tweet

?s=21

"To Serve and Protect" who, I wonder.

[NCjack]

3. Agent Matt is depraved -- fire, fine, and imprison him. nt