Electric co-op members get into a ‘little tussle’

SANTA FE — A dispute between two elected members of the board of the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative escalated into a fight at a board meeting Tuesday, and one board member ended up at a hospital for repair of a split lip.

No charges had been filed as of Wednesday and the two combatants gave decidedly different accounts of what happened.

Taos police say Chris Duran was defending himself from Virgil Martinez in the altercation, which started during a closed executive session of the Kit Carson board at the co-op’s offices.

But it was Martinez who went to the hospital and received stitches.

“Chris Duran in self-defense popped him in the mouth and split his lip,” said police Lt. David Maggio.

Duran, in a phone interview with the Journal on Wednesday, said Martinez “physically assaulted” him and he acted to defend himself.

He said several witnesses saw what happened, and that Martinez insulted Duran, Duran’s family and Duran’s “actions as a professional.” Martinez also threatened to kill him, he said. Duran, of Rodarte, south of Peñasco, said he didn’t want to say more because the police investigation is ongoing.

Martinez, 62, disputed Duran’s account and called Duran’s claim that he threatened him a “madeup story. How can I kill anyone? I don’t even have a gun.”

He said the dispute started in executive session over “financial issues” and that he was beaten up after trying to push Duran away.

Martinez, of Cerro, north of Questa, said he was the only board member to vote against a proposed electricity rate increase, on grounds that a lot of jobs have been lost in northern New Mexico and people are having a hard time paying utility bills.

Martinez said that the younger Duran, identified by internet sites as 44 years old, hit him in the face and that he was also hit after he was on the floor.

Police Lt. Maggio said police were called to the co-op offices in Taos about 2 p.m. Tuesday. The investigating officer reported that “Virgil came at Chris and Chris defends himself” after the two stepped out of the boardroom.

“Just a fight that got out of hand,” Maggio said, “a minor little tussle.”

He said there may be no charges filed in the case, but that misdemeanor assault was a possibility.

The Kit Carson Co-Op serves about 30,000 members in Taos, Rio Arriba and Colfax counties.