New Mexico man charged with attempted murder in protest shooting

[ItsjustMe]

New Mexico man charged with attempted murder in protest shooting

A New Mexico man was charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting a demonstrator at a protest over plans to reinstall a statue of a Spanish conquistador in the north of the state, police said.

Twenty-three-year-old Ryan Martinez of Sandia Park was arrested on Thursday after he shot a 42-year-old man while attempting to disrupt a peaceful protest at a civic center in Espanola, state police said in a statement.

The return of the statue of 16th-century colonial ruler Juan de Onate to a pedestal outside the public offices had been planned for Thursday but postponed by officials due to security concerns. The bronze was taken down in 2020 during nationwide anti-racism protests to topple monuments to European colonizers and Confederate officials.

The wounded man, identified by family as Native American climate activist Jacob Johns of Seattle, was in critical condition at University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque awaiting surgery, said Mateo Peixinho, an organizer for the protest rally.

[chouchou]

1. His face

His face says "Absolutely no remorse"

[Turbineguy]

2. He was only following orders.

[DoBW]

3. Help sought

there's a go fund me for the vic and family
[link: https://gofundme.com/f/help-jacob-johns-recover-from-terrorist-shooting|

[republianmushroom]

4. Welcome to the felon club, dude.

[reymega life]

5. why do we have a statue of a Spanish dictator in the United States?

spain has a really dirty history of marrying the myans and a boatload of antisemitism and Christopher Columbus.

[dalton99a]

6. Stupid evil cultist

The arrest warrant affidavit for Martinez says videos circulating on social media show the shooting came after he attempted to rush a shrine Indigenous activists had created on the pedestal built to hold the 3-ton bronze statue. He was stopped by a group of protesters.

Then a man can be heard saying to let him go, the affidavit states.

“The group of men do not try to [pursue] Ryan, and Ryan pulled his handgun from his waist band and shoots. Ryan then drops the angle he is pointing, raises it again and points his handgun once more.”

Martinez, arrested by Española and Pojoaque Pueblo police shortly after the shooting, smiled and laughed during an interview with investigators about the incident, the affidavit says.

“Ryan with a smirk on his face asked if someone who attempted a murder would be allowed to walk out” of jail, state police Agent Shane Faulkner wrote in the affidavit. “When I advised Ryan that it was his right and up to the judge, Ryan replied that was crazy and stupid.”

Martinez had been at the protest for hours Thursday morning, wearing a red MAGA hat and a turquoise hoodie, before the violence broke out around noon.

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/suspect-in-espa-ola-protest-shooting-charged-with-attempted-murder-as-victim-recovers/article_7fea40ae-5eda-11ee-9e94-8fbc73fff2f0.html