SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A judge has dismissed first- and second-degree murder charges against a former Santa Fe County sheriff's deputy accused in the 2014 shooting death of a fellow deputy.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that District Court Judge Conrad Perea on Thursday dismissed the murder counts against former deputy Tai Chan.
According to previous testimony, Chan is accused of shooting fellow Deputy Jeremy Martin in the back as Martin fled during an argument at the hotel where they had stopped on a trip to transport a prisoner to Arizona. Chan has claimed self-defense.
Two previous trials against Chan in the killing of another deputy ended when juries couldn't agree on a verdict.
Information from: Albuquerque Journal.
The most serious standing charge is voluntary manslaughter.