A man from New Mexico has entered a plea of no contest to reduced charges of aggravated battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in relation to the shooting of a Native American activist during demonstrations. The protests were held regarding abandoned plans to reinstall a statue of a Spanish conquistador.
The defendant, Ryan David Martinez, avoided his scheduled trial by accepting a combined 9 1/2-year sentence, with the provision that he would serve four years in prison along with two years on parole if he meets certain conditions, including providing restitution. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to dismiss a potential hate-crime sentence enhancement. The exact amount of restitution will be determined later by state probation and parole authorities.
Martinez was apprehended in September 2023 after a shot was fired during a gathering in Española over the cancelled installation of a statue of conquistador Juan de Oñate. The incident left Jacob Johns, a Native American activist of Hopi and Akimel O’odham tribal descent, severely injured. Martinez was seen attempting to reach a shrine opposing the statue installation before pulling a handgun and firing a shot.
In a statement, Johns expressed disappointment with the plea agreement, maintaining that the shooting was racially motivated and a continuation of colonial violence. Martinez’s legal team, however, has contended that he acted in self-defence.
District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, based in Santa Fe, praised Johns and other witnesses for their bravery in the case. She stated, “The Defendant came into our community, armed with a firearm, to create and stir political discord.”
The shooting occurred after Rio Arriba County officials decided to call off the statue’s installation. Oñate, a figure both revered and condemned for his historical actions, had his statue removed from public display in June 2020 due to tensions surrounding monuments to colonial-era figures.
Oñate is celebrated as a founding figure in communities along the Upper Rio Grande, but is also criticised for acts of brutality. His infamous order to amputate the right feet of captive tribal warriors following a conflict at Acoma Pueblo is a source of deep resentment among Native Americans.
The incident brings to light ongoing debates about historical figures and monuments, as well as the complexities of addressing colonial history and its impact on indigenous communities.