Vince Martinez Sticks to His Allegations
Shelmadine Martinez
On Thursday, Police Commissioner Chester Williams reiterated to the media that Corporal Kent Martinez was not the officer who shot Vince Martinez in the groin with a rubber bullet. Vince was shot on May twelfth after police responded to reports of a domestic dispute. While officers attempted to arrest Vince, the gun went off and Vince was hit with a rubber bullet above his privates. Vince believes that the officer used excessive and unnecessary force and he is alleging that it was Kent who shot him. But Commissioner Williams says otherwise. Williams, who chastised the media for carrying the story, even though confirmation was sought from the police department, says that Kent was not the officer who shot Vince. Today, Vince’s wife approached the media in defense of her husband, in an attempt to corroborate her husband’s story.
Shelmadine Martinez, Wife of Vince Martinez
“Chester is saying what is the big deal that it was a rubber a bullet and my life was in danger. He wasn’t there. I was the one who called the police. I brought them in my house. When they walked in to my house, my husband sat down on his bead, packing some of his clothes already. They said Mr. Martinez step out of his room. He still is on the bed. At that time my husband put his hands on his head. He said, officer come in, I am unarmed. The second time he told me house to step out of the room, they didn’t give him a chance to step out of the room. Two of them went into the room, grabbed him by his pants and drag him to the door. That is when the shot went off right in front of me and his little boy.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Who shot him?”
Shelmadine Martinez
“Corporal Martinez. The same Martinez.”
Hipolito Novelo
“But Chester is saying that it is not him.”
Shelmadine Martinez
“I don’t care what Chester says. Chester was not there.”
Hipolito Novelo
“You recognize….”
Shelmadine Martinez
“Yes I recognized. If somebody comes into your house on a big Sunday morning and shot you with a gun, you would not know who shot you? Come on, it is common sense.”
Hipolito Novelo
“You say his face? You are positive?”
Shelmadine Martinez
“I am positive it is him. So all this thing that Chester was saying that my life was in danger the police’s life was in danger, if my life was in danger and the police was in danger why my husband does not have a charge sheet? Nothing.”
Hipolito Novelo
“They shot him with a rubber bullet.”
Shelmadine Martinez
“Chester said it was not a real bullet, it was a rubbery bullet. The fact remains that he got hurt. Two police come into your house and they have to haul a gun and shoot somebody. In the groin, they could have damage him for life.”
