Grants, N.M. – During a routine patrol, an officer from the Grants Police Department received a dispatch call directing them to the Vista Mesa Villa Apartment Complex located at 1131 Mount Taylor. The call pertained to a reported argument between a mother and a friend inside one of the apartments. The reporting party was expected to remain in the lobby of the apartment complex.
Upon arrival at the scene, the officer observed other law enforcement officers and a security guard in conversation on the west side of the apartment complex. Officers talked to the front of the building and engaged in a conversation with another woman later identified as Johannah Martinez. She explained that she was waiting for a ride but found the gate locked. Sgt. Kemp informed her that she needed to head to the main entrance of the apartment complex to meet her ride. Martinez, however, allegedly exhibited slow and slurred speech while speaking to the officers and on the phone.
As officers walked back to their vehicles, Martinez began shouting obscenities at them. Officers approached Martinez, requesting her to calm down and stop walking. In response, Martinez turned towards a GPD sergeant and bumped into him.
The sergeant warned her that she would be placed under arrest if she continued to be hostile. Attempting to gain control of her, the sergeant held one of Martinez's arms, but she pulled away. Another officer grabbed her other arm and attempted to perform a leg sweep, which was unsuccessful. Eventually, the sergeant managed to gain control of Martinez while on the ground, but she refused to give her arms to the officers. The officers verbally commanded her several times to comply, but she resisted. The officer activated a taser, placing it on Martinez's side, and again ordered her to surrender her arms. Finally, they managed to handcuff Martinez.
Martinez was escorted to a patrol vehicle, where she was placed in the back seat. However, she later knocked on the window, and when the door was opened, it was discovered that she had moved her handcuffs to the front. She was instructed to exit the vehicle so that her handcuffs could be repositioned behind her. Martinez resisted and yelled, but the officers managed to reposition her handcuffs and placed her back into the patrol vehicle.
Subsequently, Martinez was transported to Cibola General Hospital for a medical clearance. At the hospital, she verbally confronted the registration employee and continued to be uncooperative with the hospital staff while in the waiting area. Eventually, she received medical clearance for incarceration from the emergency room doctor. The sergeant and the reporting officer escorted Martinez out of the hospital and back to the patrol vehicle. However, she refused to enter the vehicle willingly, leading to the officers assisting her. As they were trying to close the patrol vehicle's door, Martinez began kicking, striking one of the officers in the arm and chest. They successfully closed the door and continued the transport.
Martinez was ultimately transported to Core Civic for incarceration. During interactions with nursing staff, she once again raised her voice and exhibited uncooperative behavior. Nevertheless, she was booked into Core Civic without any further incidents.