Jury finds LA protester not guilty of assaulting border patrol agent

Gregory Bovino, US border patrol El Centro sector chief, walks on the scene as a large group of federal law enforcement officers arrive at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

A Los Angeles protester charged with assaulting a border patrol agent in June was acquitted on Wednesday after US immigration officials were accused in court of lying about the incident.

The not guilty verdict for Brayan Ramos-Brito is a major setback for the Donald Trump-appointed US attorney in southern California and for Gregory Bovino, a border patrol chief who has become a key figure in Trump’s immigration crackdown. The 29-year-old defendant, who is a US citizen, was facing a misdemeanor and was the first protester to go to trial since demonstrations against immigration raids erupted in LA earlier this summer.