Man sentenced after pleading no contest to charges in #Oñate protest shooting [of #JacobJohns]

Jonathan Fjeld, Updated: October 8, 2024

ESPAÑOLA, N.M. — "A plea deal has been reached in the case of a man accused of a shooting last year at a protest over a Juan de Oñate statue.

"Ryan Martinez pleaded no contest Monday to aggravated battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A judge subsequently sentenced him to 9.5 years, which includes a firearm enhancement. Martinez will serve a minimum of four years as a result of his plea to a serious violent offense.

"The state agreed to dismiss a possible hate crime enhancement as a part of the plea deal.

"The court scheduled jury selection to begin Monday for Martinez’s trial. Prosecutors accused him of shooting and wounding Jacob Johns at a protest last September in Española.

"One group was celebrating the postponement of the rededication of the Oñate statue. A smaller group stood by, arguing that officials were ignoring their culture and history. For the most part, they stayed separate, until one individual jumped a wall and ran toward the protesters.

"Video showed the Oñate protesters trying to tackle the man as he ran toward the group. The video showed protesters ripping off his 'Make America Great Again' hat as he jumped back over the wall. Then, the video showed that man firing one shot that hit a protester.

"Medics arrived about 10 minutes later and took the shooting victim to the hospital.

"Witnesses said the man drove away in a white Tesla. They identified him as 23-year-old Ryan Martinez. They also described him as a known online troll who often riled up crowds at protests. New Mexico State Police arrested him later that day and confirmed it was Martinez.

"A judge ruled to keep Martinez in jail until his trial."

Source:
https://www.kob.com/news/top-news/man-sentenced-after-pleading-guilty-to-charges-in-onate-protest-shooting/

#JuanDeOñate #RyanMartinez #Oñate #MAGA #MAGAViolence #IndigenousArtist #ClimateActivist #Artivist #IndigenousActivists #ClimateJustice #NativeAmericanActivists
#HateCrime #MAGATerrorism

#NativeAmerican artist's new show includes painting of man accused of shooting him

By Nicholas Gilmore, Jul 9, 2024

"For #JacobJohns, painting a portrait of the man accused of trying to kill him was a sort of exercise in healing.

"The Spokane, Wash.-based artist and activist on Tuesday afternoon stood next to his own five-foot-tall painting of Ryan Martinez, who is accused of having shot Johns last September at a protest in Española.

"The plan, Johns said, is to turn the painting into a work of collaborative art by leaving markers next to the portrait and encouraging visitors to the exhibition to contribute to it."

Read more:
https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/native-artists-new-show-includes-painting-of-man-accused-of-shooting-him/article_d3da132e-3e1d-11ef-8929-bbe91e7b5338.html

#JuanDeOñate #RyanMartinez #Oñate #MAGA #MAGAViolence #IndigenousArtist #ClimateActivist #Artivist #IndigenousActivists #ClimateJustice #NativeAmericanActivists
#HateCrime #MAGATerrorism

| |*| | Avui fa un any, un suprematista disparava a l'activista indígena pel clima #JacobJohns

La història de la humanitat és feta d'històries anònimes d'opressió i de patiment. La immensa majoria no sortiran mai als mitjans de comunicació, perquè el món pugui continuar pensant que la colonització és cosa del passat. [1/2]

An update on #JacobJohns and the trial of his assailant...

Civil suit over #Oñate shooting settled out of court

By KOB
May 8, 2024

ESPAÑOLA, N.M. – "It was a scary afternoon in Española last fall when a fight broke out between protesters and a counterprotester near the site of a proposed #JuanDeOñate statue.

"Video shows a shooter pulling out a gun and firing one shot before fleeing the scene.

"23-year-old Ryan Martinez is charged with that shooting. The victim, Jacob Johns, was taken to the hospital. He was there for more than a month and underwent multiple surgeries.

"'He lost his spleen, he is missing parts of his liver, his stomach, and his pancreas. So it was an incredibly serious wound that he received,' said John Day, attorney for Jacob Johns.

"Back in January, he sued Martinez and his family for assault, battery, personal injury and negligence.

"'The lawsuit itself explains that the parents were the ones who were aware, and under the claims of the civil lawsuit, were aware of the situation. Beyond that I can’t discuss more terms of it,' Day said.

"The lawsuit claimed Martinez’s parents knew he was 'obsessed with guns.' Reportedly, there was an incident where neighbors called the cops after seeing Martinez walk around heavily armed late at night.

"Back in 2018, Martinez was reportedly questioned by the FBI for making threatening posts online.

"This week, the civil case was settled. The terms of the settlement are confidential, but this isn’t the end of this case. The criminal trial of Martinez is only a few months away.

"'He is looking forward to having his day in court basically in this criminal case as the victim of this shooting. Jacob is really pleased that the elected DA is the one taking the case to trial. And it will be up to the DA to determine who she calls, but it would make sense for Jacob to testify because he was the one who got shot,' Day said.

"The criminal case is set to start in early July. Johns is listed as a witness, but it is unclear at this time if he will take the stand."

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/civil-suit-over-onate-shooting-settled-out-of-court/

#IndigenousNews #ClimateActivist #Artivist #IndigenousActivists #ClimateJustice #NativeAmericanActivists
#HateCrime #MAGATerrorism

#DemocracyNow
Exclusive: Survivor & Indigenous Activist #JacobJohns Speaks Out After #MAGAShooting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGEgnaAsaVg

#farright #extremedroite

Exclusive: #Indigenous #ClimateActivist #JacobJohns Speaks Out After #MAGA Gunman Shoots Him in New Mexico

December 08, 2023
via #DemocracyNow

"Broadcasting from #COP28 in Dubai, we speak with Jacob Johns, a #Hopi and Akimel #Oodham environmental defender who is leading the #IndigenousWisdomKeepers delegation at COP28. This is his first interview after surviving being shot in the chest by a far-right agitator in September. Johns and other #IndigenousActivists were holding a vigil opposing plans to reinstall a statue honoring the 16th century Spanish conquistador Juan de #Onate in Española, New Mexico, when a 23-year-old shooter wearing a red MAGA hat fired on the crowd. Johns says he died in the airlift on the way to the hospital and is still dealing with medical issues from the shooting, but wanted to come to the climate summit to share Indigenous wisdom with the world. 'We as Indigenous people understand that as the old world dies, that a new one is created and that we must focus on that creation process.'"

https://www.democracynow.org/2023/12/8/cop28_violence_against_climate_defenders

Prosecutors add #HateCrime allegations in shooting over Spanish #conquistador statue

AP, November 3, 2023

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — "State prosecutors added hate-crime allegations Thursday to charges of attempted murder against a New Mexico man accused in the shooting of a #NativeAmerican #activist amid confrontations about aborted plans to reinstall a statue of a Spanish conquistador in public, at a court hearing Thursday in northern New Mexico.

"Defendant Ryan David Martinez pleaded not guilty to all charges at the arraignment overseen by a district court judge from a courthouse in TierraAmarilla.

"Assistant District Attorney Tony Long indicated that his office will pursue sentence enhancements based on the use of a firearm and try to prove that the shooting was motivated by bias against a particular social group.

"Martinez was arrested on Sept. 28 after chaos erupted and a single shot was fired at an outdoor gathering in Española over canceled plans to install a bronze likeness of conquistador Juan de #Oñate, who is both revered and reviled for his role in establishing early settlements along the Upper Rio Grande starting in 1598.

"The shooting severely wounded #JacobJohns, of Spokane, Washington, a well-traveled #activist for #environmental causes and an advocate for #NativeAmericanRights who is of #Hopi and Akimel #Oodham tribal descent.

"He had joined other advocates for Native American rights as they celebrated with song, prayer and speeches the county's decision not to install the statue that day.

"Under state law, a hate-crime sentence enhancement could extend prison time by up to a year. The firearm-related enhancements could add up to eight years in prison.

"Initial felony charges against Martinez carry possible sentences of up to 16 years and six months in prison, along with possible fines and parole, Long told the court. A misdemeanor charge of reckless driving could add up to 90 days in prison.

"State District Court Judge Jason Lidyard scheduled a jury trial for May 2024. He has ordered that Martinez remain in jail pending trial."

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/nation/2023/11/03/prosecutors-add-hate-crime-allegations-in-shooting-over-spanish-conquistador-statue/71438113007/

#ClimateActivist #ClimateJustice #IndigenousActivists #NewMexico #MAGA #HateCrimes