Prosecutors In Border Agent Trial Trying To Keep Some Testimony Away From Jury

Published: Monday, July 15, 2019 - 3:44pm

A Border Patrol agent is going to trial for allegedly running over an immigrant with his agency vehicle and then lying about that to investigators. Prosecutors are trying to keep some expected testimony away from jurors.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona said agent Matthew Bowen twice ran his truck into an immigrant man running away from agents. Then they say, he lied about it.

They paint a picture of an agent with a vendetta against immigrants, including this text he sent two weeks before the attack: "mindless murdering savages. PLEASE let us take the gloves off trump!" referring apparently to President Donald Trump.

Now prosecutors want Bowen to not be able to tell the jury his job is dangerous and that agents risk their lives. They said he was under no threat.

"Based on the evidence and the defendant’s own asserted defense, this is not a case about threats — border-related or otherwise," they wrote in a motion filed in U.S. District Court in Tucson.

Several Border Patrol agents who witnessed the alleged attack are expected to testify against Bowen when he goes to trial in August.