WINONA, Minn. – A Winona man was arrested after a girlfriend, with whom he was breaking up, reported he loaded a 12-gauge shotgun and waved it at her. Christian Matthew Martin, 19, was booked for assault and threatening violence.
Martin. Booked abut 11:15 p.m. for assault with a deadly weapon.
A troubled day
This account was compiled from witnesses, police accounts and the criminal complaint:
Neighbors called police to a loud commotion. Martin had told the girlfriend to come to his place in the 500 block of East Belleview Street and pick up her things. There were relationship issues. Martin said he was peeved that she had turned off her cell phone’s GPS tracking feature and that he didn’t know any more where she was at. Later she arrived at Martin’s place, with a woman friend and was confronted outside by Martin. Reportedly he said: “Get the fuck off my property” and “I’ll shoot you.” He went into a garage and grabbed the shotgun. Later, he told police that he had meant only to scare the women and indeed had only cocked, not loaded the gun. The friend told police Martin kept the shotgun waist-high and pointed it at her. The ex-girlfriend left, but her accompanying friend stayed. To her Martin said “I’m gonna use force now because you’re on private property and that’s trespassing.” A friend of Martin’s, a man, came onto the scene and took the gun. Meanwhile the ex’s friend called police. This was about 10:15 p.m. When police arrived, Martin admitted to being “amped up and pissed off” but denied that the shotgun was loaded. He also denied pointing the gun at anyone. Police confiscated the gun, which they said indeed was unloaded.