THERE WILL BE A THIRD TRIAL FOR FORMER SANTA FE COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY TAI CHAN, ACCUSED OF KILLING FELLOW DEPUTY JEREMY MARTIN IN LAS CRUCES IN 2014. THE ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL REPORTS, THIS TIME,THE LAS CRUCES DISTRICT ATTORNEY WILL FILE VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER CHARGES, NOT MURDER.
TWO PREVIOUS MURDER TRIALS IN LAS CRUCES ENDED IN MIS-TRIALS BECAUSE THE JURIES COULDN’T REACH UNANIMOUS VERDICTS.
AT THE TIME MARTIN WAS KILLED, THE DEPUTIES WERE HEADING HOME AFTER DELIVERING A PRISONER TO ARIZONA. THE TWO HAD BEEN DRINKING IN THE HOURS BEFORE MARTIN WAS SHOT. CHAN HAS MAINTAINED THE SHOOTING OF MARTIN WAS IN SELF DEFENSE.
