A man was left wounded in Albuquerque, New Mexico after a clash between rioters attempting to smash a statue of conquistador Juan de Oñate and a local militia group saw one man attacked by a mob of rioters and fire a pistol several times during the attack.
In video uploaded to social media, several individuals are seen trying to topple the statue of the Spanish conquistador before the camera pans to a man in a blue shirt who is promptly hit with a skateboard by a masked man wearing all black.
Sustaining the attack, the man is pushed into the street, where he reportedly grabbed mace and sprayed it at one of the protesters.
This led to chants of “Get his plates,” “Follow him,” and “get the f**k out” from the rioters as they chased the man in a blue shirt.
Eventually several caught up to the man and began grabbing him, the man eventually toppling over into the street, when he appears to pull out a pistol and fire it four times, leaving one man wounded according to local media.
The crowd is heard screaming and running after the man fired the shots.
https://twitter.com/WhlteHovse/status/1272749526755901441
A protest medic spoke to local media and confirmed that the man had been shot one time.
In another angle of the video, a user claims a man can be heard screaming “I’ll f**king kill you” moments before the man in the blue shirt begins firing his weapon.
https://twitter.com/Wow_ThatsLame/status/1272742352788918272
Local media reports that a member of a local militia was arrested in connection to the shooting, and recorded video of the man being carried to an ambulance.
The man wounded at the Albuquerque protest being taken to ambulance. Militia members taken into custody. Police attempting to clear the area. Still very tense pic.twitter.com/IcQQp2SgvL
— Simon Romero (@viaSimonRomero) June 16, 2020
Albuquerque Police Chief Michael Geier, in response to reports about the militia group performing vigilante justice, vowed to hold them accountable.
“We are receiving reports about vigilante groups possibly instigating the violence,” Geier wrote in a statement. “If this is true will [sic] be holding them accountable to the fullest extent of the law, including federal hate group designation and prosecution.”
Message from APD Chief Michael Geier: “We are receiving reports about vigilante groups possibly instigating this violence. If this is true will be holding them accountable to the fullest extent of the law, including federal hate group designation and prosecution.”
— Albuquerque Police Department (@ABQPOLICE) June 16, 2020
At press time, the Albuquerque police department has not released a statement about the attempt to destroy the statues, and instead refers to the event as a “protest.”
