Body cam video shows Christopher Martinez Marvan immigration arrest
By: -----
Helena, MT - Newly released law enforcement footage shows the arrest of Christopher Martinez Marvan, a Helena man and Mexican national, after a stop by Helena Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in early July.
The detainment of Martinez Marvan, who lives in Helena with his wife and four children, sparked blowback from local residents. At subsequent public meetings and protests, many people questioned the police department’s participation in the stop. Law enforcement officers were jointly pursuing a different man who they said was subject to a criminal warrant when they pulled over Martinez Marvan in an apparent case of mistaken identity.
Attorneys for Martinez Marvan on Wednesday entered the body camera and dashboard camera footage as exhibits in federal court proceedings seeking to stop the 31-year-old man’s deportation. The July 1 body camera footage recorded by Helena Police Officer Seth Montgomery documents the events of the traffic stop and several Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, officers on the scene.
In one of the videos, Montgomery can be heard asking Martinez Marvan for identification, to which Martinez Marvan said he did not have any.
Helena Police Department officers then directed Martinez Marvan to step out of his vehicle and placed handcuffs on him.
Other video footage shows Martinez Marvan being questioned by federal officers wearing tan vests and police badges as Montgomery worked to confirm Martinez Marvan’s identity.
Later, Montgomery’s body camera footage records another Helena Police Department officer, Andrew Barton, approaching the patrol car’s passenger window. Barton can then be heard saying, “Yeah, he’s like, he’s being kidnapped right now.” Barton can be seen smiling during his comment.
Montgomery responded, “OK. Good enough for me,” before the body footage cuts off.
A spokesperson for the Helena Police Department, Lt. Adam Shanks, on Thursday confirmed Barton’s identity in the video.