A Gallup Police Department officer was arrested for aggravated battery on Nov. 20 by the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office, following a call that was made by a nurse at the Gallup Indian Medical Center.

Gallup Police Officer Ransom Lee William James of Vanderwagen, N.M. was arrested at his home in the Zuni Mountain Apartments in Fort Wingate as Deputy Sheriff Josie Bowman was following up with her investigation after interviewing the female victim at the hospital.

Booking records show that James was booked into McKinley County Adult Detention Center sometime after 7:30 pm. The report lists James as 27-years-old, with a physical description of 6’3” and 210 lbs.

The victim suffered injuries to her right and left eye and to her lips. She had scratches above her left eye and a red neck from being choked, according to the police report.

The alleged incident began as the victim returned to her home from work on Nov. 19 at about 11:30 pm.

Verbal insults from Officer James toward the victim escalated as she said to him, “I’m going to tell your boss tomorrow morning,” according to the report. “That’s when he grabbed me and [threw] me back and I fell.”

The victim was hit with both of his fists on the right and left of her face.

“All I saw was black and white,” the report quotes the victim. “I thought he was going to stop after that. We have a little area, he dragged me there, throwing me around and pulling my hair. That’s when he started choking me.”

The victim responded by hitting and kicking back in her defense. She admits scratching his face, arms, and chest. She repeated her statement in notifying James’ supervisor.

“I was at the point where I could not fight anymore and [was] out of breath,” she is quoted from the report. “I didn’t want to say anything else. I don’t know what he would’ve done next. I was in fear of my life.”

The victim is four months pregnant. Police have responded to other calls of disturbances at this residence.

Officer James was arrested without incident by Sheriff Deputy Josie Bowman, who received James’ account of the incident.

The report contains no mention of alcohol or drugs.

Gallup Police Capt. Marinda Spencer, department spokesperson, says, “We know that he was involved in a domestic incident. It was reported to the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office and they made an arrest.”

Officer James has been with the department for two years and is assigned to the patrol division.

“Our internal affairs will be investigating,” she said.

MCSO Sheriff Ron Silversmith responded by saying that when law enforcement officers are involved in such incidents it is a practice that the response and preliminary investigation is handled by another agency.

By Deswood Tome

Sun Correspondent

Gallup Police Capt. Erin Toadlena Pablo told the Gallup Sun that shortly before 9 am Jan. 7, Metro dispatch received a call from the Gallup fire station on the north side.

Two people had reportedly walked up to report finding a dead body.

Police officers and members of the fire department responded to an open field northwest of the TDFL football field.

They confirmed that a male there was deceased. He is described as Native American in his mid-60s. No foul play is suspected. He has been sent for an autopsy. No identification has been released.

SANTA FE - The New Mexico Department of Health announced today (Jan. 4) that New Mexico’s vaccination website - vaccinenm.org - now enables users to complete comprehensive personal profiles. These profiles - which include personal medical conditions and employment information, along with other key data - allow the state to notify New Mexicans when vaccine doses become available in their area.

“Our highest priorities remain the same: ensuring that vaccine goes to those who are most exposed to infected people or infectious materials, and preventing vaccine from going to waste,”  DOH Secretary-Designate Dr. Tracie Collins said. “Vaccinenm.org allows us to contact New Mexicans and match them with local vaccination opportunities.”

Vaccinenm.org is a registration and inventory management system that enables health care partners to manage real-time vaccine demand while increasing distribution efficiency and minimizing waste. Since its release two weeks ago, vaccinenm.org has seen more than 230,000 registrations - one in every ten New Mexicans. State officials believe it is the only system of its kind in the country.

For New Mexicans who wish to register for vaccine, the process is simple:

1. Users submit basic contact information, including their employment category and medical conditions.
2. Users are then contacted and prompted to fill out additional demographic and insurance information, at which point their profile is complete. (Vaccinations are free, but providing insurance information helps support the cost of the vaccination program.)
3. Users wait to receive a notification that they may schedule a vaccination - and on the day of their appointment, they fill out a medical questionnaire about their current health.

The state will also launch a vaccine call center in the coming days, providing additional support for those who wish to register or ask questions about the process. 

The Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise announced, it has been forced to temporarily layoff 1,120 team members, 776 of whom are Navajo tribal members.

In early November, NNGE leadership had warned about the possibility of layoffs. (See Gallup Sun VOL. 6, ISSUE 294, Nov. 13, 2020)

Brian Parrish, Interim CEO of NNGE said, "Due to the extended closure, since March 17, 2020, our business operations have been severely impacted and as a result, we must make very difficult financial and personnel decisions.”

“We remain focused on seeking every viable option to stabilize the salary and benefits of more than 1,000 Navajo families and to protect the $460 million investment the Nation has made in gaming facilities and resources,” Parrish said. 

One hundred-sixty-five employees will remain to ensure that essential functions are performed.

“We intend to recall staff as soon as practicable, either by approval to reopen, or approval by the Board of Directors to return team members to administrative leave with pay.”

Permanent closure would come at a cost of $460 million to the Navajo Nation for the first year.

Subsequent years will reflect continued losses of approximately $219 million due to the elimination of interest revenues, gaming distribution fund revenues, tax revenue payments, and business site lease income, as well as, the economic output currently shared across the Navajo Nation reservation.

A permanent closure would also hurt communities by the immediate loss of more than $807,000 that NNGE provides each year for local police, fire and emergency services.

NNGE leadership remains focused on finding a resolution before the end of January.

“We believe we can responsibly reopen, at a reduced occupancy with the implementation of first-in-class safety protocols. We have studied the science and reviewed the best guidelines at each stage. We have consistently laid out our step-by-step plans to strike the right balance and have detailed the catastrophic consequences of continued closure,” Parrish said.