Mario Lawrence Martinez

How they died

Deadly force

Officers were dispatched to an apartment at 9:33 a.m. on an assault and battery call. The kidnapping victim's current boyfriend had told arriving officers that her ex-boyfriend, Martinez, had been harassing them and fired shots before kicking in the front door of the apartment to forcibly remove the woman. Martinez threatened her with a 9 mm handgun and tried to escape in her car, but fled with her on foot because her car's battery was dead. Officers located Martinez and the victim near a shopping center at about 10:50 a.m. and ordered him to surrender. Martinez did not comply and walked with the victim at gunpoint to the plaza's parking lot. Martinez unsuccessfully tried to steal several vehicles in the plaza parking lot. The two made their way through a grocery store and left through the back and into an alley. In the alley, Martinez tried to steal an unoccupied box truck and shot out its window, but was unable to start the other. While he and the victim were in the alley, officers set up a containment around the shopping center and a team of officers -- which included Officer Ramon Hiestand -- made contact with Martinez. The two made their way to the sidewalk, when he pointed his gun at officers, and the woman was able to break free. Hiestand shot Martinez, prompting him to fall to the ground. Martinez fired more shots at officers while on the ground, and Hiestand continued to shoot until Martinez was dead.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Mario Lawrence Martinez, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources