Defendant Avoids Trial, Accepts Reduced Charges
In a plea deal reached on Monday, Ryan David Martinez, a New Mexico resident, pleaded no contest to aggravated battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for his role in the shooting of Native American activist Jacob Johns during a protest in 2023. Martinez, who initially faced attempted murder charges, avoided a trial by accepting a combined sentence of 9 1/2 years, with four years to be served in prison and two years on parole, pending compliance with restitution terms.
Prosecutors dropped the potential hate-crime enhancement as part of the plea arrangement. The amount of restitution owed by Martinez will be determined by state probation and parole authorities.
Protest Erupts Over Spanish Conquistador Statue
The incident took place in September 2023 during a demonstration in Española, New Mexico, against plans to reinstall a statue of Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate. The statue, controversial for its representation of colonial violence, had been removed from public display in 2020 amid growing tensions over monuments to colonial-era figures.
Martinez was arrested after firing a single shot at the protest, severely wounding Johns, an activist and artist of Hopi and Akimel O’odham descent. Video footage from the event showed Martinez attempting to rush a makeshift shrine set up in opposition to the statue. After being physically blocked by a group of men, Martinez retreated, pulled a handgun from his waist, and fired one shot. He also pointed the gun at a female activist before fleeing the scene.
Victim Speaks Out Against Plea Deal
Jacob Johns, the injured activist, expressed disappointment with the plea agreement, calling the shooting a racially motivated crime and a continuation of colonial violence. Johns, who suffered severe injuries, including the loss of an internal organ, said in a statement, “The lifelong scars and injuries, loss of an internal organ, mental anguish, and trauma will be with me forever — and in a couple of years Martinez will live free.”
Defense Claims Self-Defense, DA Praises Witnesses
Martinez’s attorneys argued that their client acted in self-defense during the chaotic confrontation. They have not yet commented on the plea deal.
Santa Fe-based District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies led the prosecution and commended the courage of Johns and other witnesses. In a statement, she said, “The Defendant came into our community, armed with a firearm, to create and stir political discord.”
