Man suffers severe injuries during attack

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
Staff writer

GALLUP — A brutal attack June 11 in a field on Gallup’s north side left one man bloody and another facing felony charges.

Bert Jones, 32, of Tseyatoh, is charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, after he allegedly broke a beer bottle over the head of Harold Johnson, 47, of Sheepsprings, and then raked the jagged shards down the left side of Johnson’s face.

It was about 11:30 p.m. and EMS personnel with Gallup Fire Department had responded along with Medstar to an anonymous call reporting injuries. They found three men on the scene, which was near the intersection of Ninth Street and Jefferson Avenue. Two of the men were extremely drunk, and one of those two men had a small cut above his eye and one on his little finger. The victim — a third man later identified as Harold Johnson — told rescue personnel he was going to find his fiancée in the field east of Big Bear Bargains.

Confused and uncertain what had transpired — but certain that Johnson had suffered severe injuries — the paramedics called police, according to Gallup Police Officer Andrew Antone’s report.

The man already being treated was Bert Jones who is accused of savagely attacking Johnson earlier the same evening, even though Jones and his alleged accomplice, Wilson Tsosie Jr., told police they were in fact victims. They said they had been “jumped by juveniles in the ditch.”

Jones’s injuries, however, were minor ... and Tsosie showed no injury at all ... just dry blood splatters on his clothing.

“Bert (Jones) slurred his speech heavily and was hard to understand ... Wilson (Tsosie Jr.) was also intoxicated with slurred speech, strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath and staggered as he walked,” Antone wrote.

Soon police heard Johnson and his fiancée, Caroline Tsosie, yelling from the field, and they approached the couple.

“Harold (Johnson) did have a deep laceration to the left eye with the left eye swollen shut, and a laceration to the back of his head,” Antone wrote. “Harold (Johnson) was bleeding heavily and was walked to the Medstar Ambulance for further treatment. Caroline (Tsosie) did not have any injuries at that time.”

The couple told police they recognized Jones and Tsosie Jr. from NCI, but did not know their names. They gave an accurate description of both men, whom police had already identified.

“Caroline was also intoxicated with slurred speech, bloodshot watery eyes, and staggered while walking,” Antone wrote. “Harold also had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath and slurred speech but was consistent with his information, and seemed to be coherent of what happened.”

Johnson told police that he and Tsosie had been in the field when they saw the two men who they recognized from NCI, that they went over to where the men were sitting to share their blankets.

The man in the black shirt, later identified as Tsosie Jr., allegedly began to shove Johnson for no apparent reason, and without provocation. The man in the white shirt, later identified as Jones, was holding a 40-ounce beer bottle. He broke it over Johnson’s head, and then raked the jagged glass down the left side of his Johnson’s face, according to the report.

“Harold said he tried to defend himself by blocking their punches and he was also kicked as he fell to the ground. The two males continued to kick and punch him.”

Johnson told police his fiancée tried to intervene by telling Jones and Tsosie Jr. to stop, but they paid no attention.

Then they left, walking west from the field toward Ninth Street. Johnson followed and began yelling for help until Gallup Fire Department’s rescue workers arrived.

Police took Johnson and Jones to the hospital for treatment, after which their bloody clothes were taken for evidence.

Police arrested Bert Jones after he was released; Jones is charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, resulting in great bodily harm, a second-degree felony punishable by nine years in prison. Caroline Tsosie and Wilson Tsosie Jr. were taken to NCI for detox, as were two other men who happen to be drunk in the field at the same time. Neither of the other men had any information about the attack, according to the report.

Police later went to the field to collect the weapon in the daylight.

“No weapons were located in the field east of the Big Bear Bargains due to heavy brush and many broken bottles and shards in the area,” Antone wrote.