New Mexico sheriff accused of interfering with crime scenes while drunk is arrested after cops found he failed to hand over his cell phone to investigators
- Española Police arrested Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan on Thursday after he refused to unlock and turn over his phone to responding officers
- ‘Wow, I’m handcuffed,’ Sheriff Lujan said to officers. ‘You tell me to do something. I can’t do nothing because I’m handcuffed. I asked for my attorney’
- Police believed the phone would show evidence of the sheriff interfering in criminal cases, including ones with City Councilor John Vigil and Phillip Chacon
- Chacon has been arrested numerous times in the area
- The phone was seen in police footage from Española Police scenes where the sheriff is accused of trying to take over or intrude
Police in New Mexico have arrested a local sheriff on Thursday after he allegedly refused to comply with a search warrant for his phone that authorities needed to check for evidence of him interfering with criminal cases.
Española Police arrested Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan after he refused to unlock and turn over his phone to responding officers, instead insisting to speak with his attorney.
‘Wow, I’m handcuffed,’ Sheriff Lujan said to officers as he was being detained. ‘You tell me to do something. I can’t do nothing because I’m handcuffed. I asked for my attorney.’
Española Police arrested Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan on Thursday after he refused to unlock and turn over his phone to responding officers
Police had a warrant for the phone because they believed it would show evidence of the sheriff interfering in criminal cases, including ones involving Española City Councilor John Vigil and Phillip Chacon. Chacon has been arrested numerous times in the area.
‘I think the search warrant is incorrect and possibly invalid, but we’ll have to take that up with the court,’ Defense Attorney Nathaniel Thompkins explained to KRQE.
When police showed up to obtain Lujan’s work and personal cell phones, last week, he accused them of treating him unfairly.
When police showed up to obtain Lujan’s work and personal cell phones, last week, he accused them of treating him unfairly
‘This is harassment and retaliation because I told the city council that you shouldn’t be the chief,’ he stated in a brief police clip.
Sheriff Lujan would eventually hand over his devices but police later noticed that he did not give them his iPhone
Sheriff Lujan would eventually hand over his devices but police later noticed that he did not give them his iPhone.
The phone was seen in police footage from Española Police scenes where the sheriff is accused of trying to take over or intrude.
One video filmed in March showed Lujan on the scene of a SWAT situation with the iPhone.
Police were trying to arrest Chacon for a probation violation when the sheriff arrived, they said.
Lujan is said to have smelled of alcohol and was a distraction for the officers, refusing to leave.
He was charged with resisting and for evading or obstructing an officer. The sheriff was given two additional charges on Thursday.
One video filmed in March showed Lujan on the scene of a SWAT situation with the iPhone. He is said to have smelled of alcohol