By Matthew Reisen
Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — More than a dozen members of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center’s tactical team have resigned amid repeated assaults on officers and a no-confidence vote on Warden Kai Smith.
MDC spokesperson Candace Hopkins said 14 members, including at least one team leader, of the Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT) have resigned, leaving 22 officers on the team.
Joseph Trujeque, president of the union representing MDC corrections officers, said he was among those who resigned from CERT, which is described on an MDC recruiting webpage as “the last line of defense for many prison incidents.”
Trujeque said recent assaults on officers and simmering issues with Smith’s decision-making led to more than 300 MDC employees, including over 200 officers, signing a vote of no confidence in the warden. MDC currently employs 586 staff, including 383 officers.
Trujeque said the union plans to present the vote to the Bernalillo County Commission next month.
In a statement released Friday, Smith said, “The safety and security of inmates, staff, and the community remain MDC’s highest priority.”
“As Warden, I have a responsibility to uphold that mission and make decisions that are in the best interest of the facility, staff, and those we serve. Following incidents such as these, a thorough investigation is conducted, and our leadership team carefully evaluates whether policy or procedural changes are necessary,” according to Smith’s statement. “I want to ensure both our staff and the public that my commitment to maintaining a safe and secure MDC remains unwavering.”
Trujeque said that since Smith took over MDC in April 2024, “We have had a rocky road.”
“It’s overall ongoing issues with the warden’s decisions, which is affecting the security and the safety of the facility,” he added. The issues include using CERT members to serve food and do cell checks while delaying training for members, which certifies them to use stun guns, Mace and other less-lethal weapons.
Trujeque said the union took the issues to Bernalillo County Manager Cindy Chavez and “it’s been acknowledged but ignored.”
On Friday, Chavez said the concerns had not been ignored and she appreciated the union raising them, while also expressing support for Smith’s leadership, adding that both sides have “a lot of integrity and talent.”
“There is a very real and, I think, somewhat healthy tension between the leadership of the union and MDC, and even my office, as we look to continue to make improvements to the facility,” she said. “I do understand that their frustration is real, and I would also say that when you’re in an environment where you’re trying to make improvements and changes, there will be some inevitable conflicts while these processes are moving forward.”
‘A slap in the face’
The straw that broke the camel’s back, Trujeque said, was Smith’s response following a mid-April assault on officers by inmates moved from the juvenile jail. He said the inmates attacked an officer at the juvenile jail and were transferred to RHU 4, MDC’s maximum security unit.
During the move, Trujeque said the inmates attacked one officer, then the officer who responded to help. By the end of the melee, he said, five MDC officers had been assaulted and RHU 4 was on the verge of a riot.
“Every inmate in the unit was banging and saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to war with the officers, we’re going to kill you, open our doors,’” Trujeque said. “That type of behavior needs to be put in check, otherwise it emboldens behavior, and that’s exactly what happened.”
In the immediate aftermath, he said the assistant CERT commander made a plan to search the unit for weapons and “quell the situation.” Trujeque said Smith, in so many words, told CERT, “absolutely not, because it would look like retaliation.”
That’s when many members resigned from the CERT team, he said.
Trujeque said Smith’s suggestion of retaliation was “like a slap in the face to these people on the CERT team, like myself, who’ve been there for 27 years and have the training to be professional and not abuse our power.”
He said the CERT team took Smith’s words as “saying that he has no faith in us to actually do what we’re trained… in a professional manner, without crossing any lines.”
Hopkins confirmed the search was denied.
“There were no indications of, or implied threats involving a weapon, and all inmates were secured behind locked doors,” she said. “Additionally, no credible or documented intelligence suggested an immediate threat. Therefore, the decision was made to maintain standard operating procedures.”
Hopkins said a scheduled search of RHU 4, planned prior to the assault, took place April 28. She added, “there was no operational need for a separate targeted-area search. The approach successfully achieved all operational objectives while minimizing potential harm to both staff and inmates.”
The search included the cell of Stewart Artis, who had been found with sharp weapons and had repeatedly attacked MDC officers since being booked in March 2022. On May 7, the 38-year-old allegedly took two officers hostage with a shank, locked them in a shower and stabbed another inmate.
Artis has been charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault upon a peace officer, aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm and possession of a deadly weapon by a prisoner. Court records show his phone and video visit privileges have been revoked.
Hopkins said, “due to ongoing criminal and internal investigations,” she could not provide additional details “at this time.”
—
© 2026 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.). Visit www.abqjournal.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
