Federal Agent Allegedly Threatens Chicago Veteran Amid Protest Enforcement Controversy

A newly filed civil-rights complaint alleges that, during late-October protests in Chicago’s Little Village, a federal agent pointed a handgun at combat veteran Chris Gentry and taunted him with “bang, bang” and “you’re dead, liberal.” The filing — brought by the Chicago Headline Club and others and reported by multiple outlets — identifies the operation as led by U.S. Border Patrol’s Chicago commander Gregory Bovino and says agents used tear gas, pepper spray and pepper balls against mostly peaceful protesters. Plaintiffs contend those actions violated a temporary restraining order issued by U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis that limits use of riot-control weapons and requires warnings and visible identification, and they allege agents deployed crowd-control munitions without warnings and some without body cameras. The government has defended its response in public statements, with DHS/CBP saying agents were attacked (reports say protesters fired commercial fireworks), while news organizations contacted DOJ, ICE, DHS and Bovino for comment. The incident and the court filing have intensified scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics, raising broader questions about accountability, civil liberties and the scope of federal power in U.S. cities.