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Border Patrol near San Diego, Taser Ignites Car Fire, Kills Driver Alex Martin

2,613 views · Published 27 March 2015 · 2:07 · Indexed 31 October 2026

Channel: IRATE Productions · 2015 · Nonprofits & Activism

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Pine Valley, CA - Newly released video shows the fateful moments when a pursuit near Pine Valley ended with a fiery and fatal explosion.

Alex Martin was wrapping up a 20-hour drive from Texas to visit friends, when the horrific scene unfolded in March 2012.

The video shows the end of a brief pursuit from the dashcam of an unmarked Border Patrol vehicle, as three vehicles box a Ford Focus on the roadside.

Three border patrol agents surround the car, driven by Alex Martin, 25.

“He was probably in full-fledged panic mode,” said lawyer Gene Iredale, who represents Martin's family.

That night, earlier reports of a wrong-way driver had led the agents to try and stop Martin.

Iredale believes Martin was confused and scared by the unmarked vehicles and took off before driving over spike strips and ending up at that roadside.

In the video, one of the agents breaks a window with a flashlight. Moments later, that agent fires a stun gun and the car erupts in flames.

“This was a senseless death of the result of the senseless deaths of these agents,” said Iredale.

Iredale says the agents never identified themselves, and violated policy by approaching in unmarked vehicles without showing their badges. The Martin family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the federal government.

Soon after the fire, one of the agents is seen without a badge. Minutes later, it appears around his neck.

“He told a homicide detective he flashed his badge. Clearly, he was not telling the truth,” said Iredale.

Iredale says the agent who fired should not have shot the stun gun once the window was broken.

“There would have been a rush of air that would have suffused with the smell of gasoline,” said Iredale.

Iredale's experts say flammable substances found in the car may show Martin have spilled a gas container.




He calls the actions of the fire the most outrageous.

In the video, the agents are seen pulling their cars away. None of the agents tried to put out of the fire. Fire trucks eventually arrived on scene.

“All three of them had fire extinguishers and not one of them tried to use them. Alex died in that fire,” said Iredale.

We contacted the Border Patrol for comment, but didn't hear back.

A few months ago, a county report said Martin may have been connected to a burning highway sign set an hour prior.

Iredale says that's been disproved as surveillance video shows Martin was going through secondary at that time - at a Border Patrol checkpoint. #Copwatch #SanDiego #FilmThePolice

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