Martinez
ANSONIA — A 24-year-old city man who was shot in a downtown parking lot was actually the aggressor in the dispute, according to police.
Jonathan Javier Martinez was arrested on a warrant July 11 and charged with first-degree criminal attempted assault; first-degree threatening; carrying a pistol without a permit, and; first-degree reckless endangerment.
The charges stem from a 6:30 p.m. June 22 shooting in the parking lot between Rite Aid and the Marshalls store at 407 Main St.
Just before he was shot, Martinez, while operating a motorcycle, was passed by a motorist on his right side at a traffic light on Main Street.
This apparently angered Martinez, who attempted to track down the motorist.
Martinez drove into the Main Street parking lot and followed a man into the Marshalls store — under the mistaken belief that the man was the motorist he had just encountered on Main Street — and demanded the person step outside.
The victim explained that he was not the motorist who passed Martinez — but that he had witnessed what happened. Martinez didn’t believe him, according to police.
“Martinez followed the victim into Marshalls where he confronted the victim, demanding to see the victim’s car. The two went outside where the victim attempted to show Martinez he was not involved in the incident, and Martinez threatened the victim,” according to a statement from Lt. Patrick Lynch.
Police allege that Martinez pulled out a gun and stuck it in the victim’s neck.
The victim — a 31-year old military veteran from Ansonia and a volunteer firefighter — defended himself by attempting to wrestle the weapon from Martinez.
Two shots went off, with one bullet hitting the victim’s car, and the other hitting Martinez in his leg.
Martinez, on the ground, allegedly asked the victim to not call police.
Officers arrived, saw the victim holding the gun, and ordered him to the ground.
“He complied with all of the officers’ orders and was detained,” Lynch said. “He was completely cooperative, answered all our questions, and was relatively calm based on what had just happened.“
Martinez was treated and released from a hospital.
“Witnesses at the scene and video from the area corroborated the victim’s version of the incident,” Lynch said.
Martinez was scheduled to be arraigned in Derby, and was being held on a $300,000 bond as of 2 p.m. Tuesday.
