New Mexico judge releases man accused of shooting protester at demonstration
06/22/2020 4:04 pm PDT
via KRQE:
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) -- A judge has released Steven Ray Baca, who is accused of shooting an individual on June 15 at a demonstration where protesters were trying to tear down a statue of conquistador Juan de Oñate.
Police say Steven Baca, 31, is the man seen on video opening fire at last Monday's protest regarding a statue of conquistador Juan De Oñate, sending one man to the hospital.
Much of the District Attorney's case was centered around 10 primary witness videos, one of which shows the moments leading up to Baca firing his gun.
Baca is charged with one count of aggravated battery, a felony, two counts of misdemeanor battery and one misdemeanor count of unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon for incidents that happened at a protest to remove a statue of Juan de Oñate outside the Albuquerque Museum on June 15.
The Albuquerque Journal reports Baca was originally charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon for shooting 39-year-old Scott Williams, but the charge was dropped because District Attorney Raúl Torrez had concerns with how the Albuquerque Police Department handled the investigation.
Judge Charles Brown released Baca on his own recognizance. Brown told Baca it was “stupid” to bring a gun to a protest. Baca did not have a concealed carry permit at the time of the shooting. He is also facing charges for that.
Baca ran for city council on a small government platform last year in District 2, where he lost to Councilor Ike Benton.
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