[1 of 5]
Out of Control Rio Arriba Sheriff Tries to Take Over Active Scene While Allegedly Drunk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G7diRTrGAg
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Cop Watch | 22 May 2020}
@Copwatchtv obtained lapel footage from different officers of a March 26th, 2020 incident.
Española Police and New Mexico State Police were executing a search warrant of a suspect who stabbed and beat a man. The suspect was Phillip Chacon. When officers arrived he retreated inside his residence.
Officers from both agencies established communication with Chacon via text message and phone. At first Chacon said he was in Santa Fe, New Mexico but officers heard the PA system in the background asking him to come out.
Rio Arriba Sheriff James Lujan arrived on scene and ordered everyone to pull back. In the lapel footage and police report officers mention Sheriff Lujan smelled of alcohol.
At one point Lujan walked into the "hot zone" of the standoff with his cell phone in hand and walked up to the residence of Chacon.
Eventually, Chacon was taken into custody and weapons were recovered from his residence.
The Española Police Department has charged Lujan with resisting, evading or obstructing an officer.
Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan was arrested Thursday 5/21/2020 for refusing to comply with a search warrant in relation to an earlier charge of obstructing an investigation in this incident.
(Note the multiple hours of standoff video were condensed into the parts of Sheriff James Lujan and other agencies interacting) This is part 1 of a 5 part series involving the Rio Arriba Sheriff in Espanola, NM.
[2 of 5]
Out of Control Rio Arriba Sheriff interferes in City Councilor warrant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr6vCPnrIgY
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Cop Watch | 22 May 2020}
Watch as a possibly intoxicated public official shows up to bail out his fellow public official friend who has been accused of a stabbing incident.
The end of the video has the search warrant and Criminal Complaint attached. THIS IS A MUST READ TO GET CAUGHT UP ON THE DRAMA UNFOLDING!!!
This is part 2 of a 5 part series involving the Rio Arriba Sheriff in Espanola, NM.
[3 of 5]
Out of Control Sheriff Served with Search Warrant by City Police
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqqFB-tN1DQ
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Cop Watch | 18 May 2020}
@Copwatchtv obtained lapel footage from Española Police Department’s seizure of two cellphones belonging to Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, Sheriff James Lujan. Video shows twenty-minutes of multiple officers asking the sheriff to comply with the search warrant.
The case stems from two search warrants that directed them to seize his county-issued work cellphone as well as his personal phone. Twice this Spring, the Sheriff has arrived during Española Police Department's investigations. EPD Detective Ernest Saucedo discovered multiple communications using a social media service between Chacon and Española City Councilor John Ramon Vigil..
EPD appears to have probable cause to search the Sheriff's phones to see if he was abusing his power with two cases he was involved in.
EPD is investigating both cases and no formal charges against the Sheriff have been filed.
This is part 3 of a 5 part series.
[4 of 5]
Full Video of Arrest: Out of Control Sheriff James Lujan by Police Caught on Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZOsUaL-2pg
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Cop Watch | 23 May 2020}
@Copwatchtv obtained lapel videos from the Espanola Police Department reference an arrest of the Rio Arriba Sheriff on 05-21-2020. The arrest stems from a case where he interfered in the arrest of a prominent public official in the county and interfering on a stand off with a suspect.
The sheriff is often allegedly drunk or intoxicated at scenes he shows up to uninvited. The Sheriff then tries to take command of scenes his agency isn't even involved in.
In this episode of our series we see Taos County S.W.A.T, and Espanola Police serving a warrant for the Sheriff at his headquarters.
This is part 4 of a 5 part series involving the Rio Arriba Sheriff in Espanola, NM.
[5 of 5]
Rio Arriba Sheriff James Lujan Get's Arrested AGAIN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foNNmaW79m8
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Cop Watch | 10 July 2020}
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@Copwatchtv received video from the New Mexico State Police of embattled Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan. The video shows the Sheriff turning himself in to the New Mexico State Police on June 3rd, 2020 in Espanola, New Mexico. The Sheriff was facing two additional felony charges from the Ninth Judicial District Attorney. The charges are harboring or aiding a felon, and threatening a witness, which are fourth- and third-degree felonies, respectively.
Sheriff Lujan agreed to turn himself after his lawyer and the DA came to an agreement.
Present during the arrest were his attorney, Nathaniel Thompkins, and investigators from the Ninth Judicial District Attorney's Andrea Reeb’s office.
Ninth Judicial District Attorney Senior Investigator Adriana Munoz believes she has established probable cause to show that Lujan may have committed two felonies: harboring or aiding a felon, and bribery or intimidation of a witness.
The warrant was issued by Los Alamos Magistrate Court Judge Pat Casados on the early morning of June 3rd.
Sheriff Lujan wanted to be transported to Santa Fe County Jail, but changed his mind to Los Alamos County Jail.
Lujan had his first court appearance in early June and the case is awaiting further details.
The New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy Director said Lujan's suspension is imminent due to the felony charges. The suspension will remove Lujan from any "police" work and he will become an administrative sheriff.
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