Witness: Chan’s blood alcohol content level three times legal limit

A witness who testified Wednesday in the Tai Chan murder trial told jurors Chan had a .24 blood alcohol content level the night of the shooting – three times the legal limit.

The witness testified on behalf of the defense.

Chan is on trial for shooting and killing Jeremy Martin at the Hotel Encanto in Las Cruces in 2014.

The two Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputies were transporting a prisoner to Arizona. Police say they stopped in Las Cruces and were planning to head back home the next morning.

Wednesday, the jury was shown video of the deadly shooting’s bloody aftermath.

It showed bullet holes and blood scattered down the hallway. It also showed bullet holes in the hotel elevator doors. Martin allegedly rode the elevator down to the lobby, where witnesses say he crawled out before later dying at the hospital.

The prosecution also showed the jury text messages from Martin’s cell phone the evening before he was killed. A text message sent to Martin’s wife stated, “we are here in our hotel room. Love you.”

There were also multiple calls made from Martin’s phone to Martin’s wife and a sergeant around midnight shortly before he was killed.

According to Max Weir, a Las Cruces Police Department forensic expert, the only exchange between Martin and Chan recovered from Martin’s phone were a few text messages the evening they were staying at the hotel.

In one text, Chan asked, “Where are you bro?”

Martin replied, “Outside having a chew.”

Chan responded, “Thank God bud. I have been so worried.”

Witnesses who testified Wednesday said the two deputies had drinks at a local bar the night of the killing.

Chan’s second cousin, Nichole Jaynes, testified Chan invited her to Dublin’s Street Pub that night. She even drove the two men back to the hotel since they had been drinking.

Jaynes says Chan and Martin were arguing about a homicide case in Santa Fe, but when she dropped them off for the night, everything seemed fine.

“When they spoke, Jeremy mentioned to let it go and they’d talk about it the next day,” Jaynes said, “When they got out of my truck they had their arms around each other walking into the hotel.”

The prosecution says Chan shot at Martin 10 times and 5 of those shots hit Martin the back.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Philip Trompetter testified officers are trained to react quickly. He said there’s a possibility Martin turned his body during the gun fire, allowing the bullets to strike him in the back.

“Officers typically will continue to fire at least one round sometimes two or more because it just takes that long once you’ve started an action of firing every quarter of a second to stop that action,” Trompetter said. “So frequently you’ll get additional shots fired because that’s just the way the human body responds.”

The prosecution said Trompetter’s statements were generalized, pointing out he had little experience with cases where an officer shot a fellow officer.

The defense argues Chan was acting in self-defense. Chan pleaded not guilty to First Degree Murder.