A Montezuma County man is accused of attacking two women near Kemper Elementary School.
The man, identified as Emmery Whiteskunk by a Ute Mountain Ute Tribe identification card, was arrested for harassment, third-degree assault and menacing.
Officer Brady Veach was called to the 600 block of East Montezuma Avenue near the school about a reported fight shortly after 9:30 p.m. on March 18.
Veach said he came in contact with two women, identified as Sabra Montano and Taeya Gallegos.
Montano informed Veach that she and Gallegos were walking west on Montezuma Avenue when they were approached by two people walking the opposite direction on the sidewalk.
As the two groups were about to cross paths, Montano said one of the men asked if either of the women were named “Marty.” Both responded they were not named “Marty,” nor did they know anyone by that name.
Whiteskunk kept accusing the women of being named “Marty,” according to police.
When Montano and Gallegos asked Whiteskunk to leave them alone, he allegedly grabbed Gallegos by her coat and pulled her closer to him, leaving nearly no space between their faces.
As Montano attempted to separate Whiteskunk and Gallegos, Montano told Veach that Whiteskunk head-butted her and punched her repeatedly.
“As Emmery attacked Sabra, Sabra became fearful for her life and pulled out her (9 mm) handgun. Sabra tried to block Emmery’s punches and told Emmery that she had a gun and that she would shoot him if he didn’t stop,” Veach said. “Emmery continued to strike Sabra in the face. Sabra hit Emmery with the handgun a couple of times and begged him to stop attacking her.”
Whiteskunk then allegedly told Montano he also had a firearm in his backpack. As Whiteskunk reached for it, Montano grabbed it from him and fired her own weapon, according to police.
“At that point, Sabra thought that Emmery was going to pull out a gun and kill her,” Veach said.
Veach said he collected a 9 mm casing, black backpack, red jacket and a Ute Mountain Ute identification card belonging to Whiteskunk.
About 5:30 a.m., officer Kadan Sharp was called to the Bridge Emergency Shelter because Whiteskunk was on the premises and reporting head injuries.
At the shelter, Sharp asked Whiteskunk how he received his injuries.
“Emmery told me that he left City Market and was walking near parking lot in the 600 block of E. Montezuma Ave. when a random woman grabbed his backpack and began attacking him,” Sharp said in his report. “As the woman attacked him, she pulled out a handgun and struck him on the head twice and shot at is head.”
Sharp informed Whiteskunk of the testimonies from Montano and Gallegos before arresting him and taking him to the hospital to be treated for his head wounds.
After he was treated at the hospital, Whiteskunk was taken to the Montezuma County Detention Center.
Whiteskunk will appear in court on April 4, starting at 3 p.m.
