Charges dropped for Santa Fe man accused of shooting man with ‘pepper ball’ weapon

SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – Charges brought against a Santa Fe restaurant owner and chef have been dropped by the First Judicial District Attorney. He was accused of shooting a “pepper ball” weapon at a 61-year-old who was rummaging through a trash can near his restaurant.

Back on August 22nd, Pranzo Italian Grill owner and chef, Steven Lemon, told Santa Fe police that he shot at 61-year-old Ronald Price while Price was digging through a trash can in an alley next to the restaurant near N Guadalupe Street and Johnson Street. According to court documents, police found Price near the alley with blood on his face.

Price said he heard what he thought were gunshots and fell to the ground stating he was shot in the face. A neighbor and witness in the area told officers that Lemon would consistently yell at homeless people in the alley. They also told police he would shoot at them with an “air-soft-like” gun.

Court documents state that police followed a trail of blood down the alley, where they found Lemon watering the area down with a hose. He was previously facing aggravated assault and tampering with evidence charges. Lemon stated that homeless people hanging around that alley has been a continuous problem for him and had told police about the problem in the past.

While at the scene, investigators found a Tippman paintball gun and a Byrna Launcher, which is a self-defense weapon that shoots ammunition like pepper balls instead of real bullets. In a phone call with News 13, Lemon said he’s “grateful for the DA’s” decision.

The District Attorney’s Office stated that the district attorney “personally reviewed the case” and stated that she did not see “probable cause for the crimes as charged.”

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