Apple Valley Man Pleads Guilty to Charges That Led to Viral Encounter with Police
Corrections Made: We have made revisions to this article, including the correction of wording that suggested that Martensen fired a gun from inside a vehicle during an incident back in 2020 in Burnsville. The gun that was used by Martensen in this incident was from inside the vehicle, but the shots that were fired by Martensen were from outside the vehicle. We have also added additional information from the Apple Valley Police report to give further transparency on the events that unfolded.
APPLE VALLEY, MINNESOTA—In the fall of 2022, a video captured during a police encounter in Apple Valley, Minnesota, went viral, sparking widespread controversy and discussion. Ryan Martensen, a resident of Apple Valley, found himself at the center of attention after posting videos from a Blink security camera and his cellphone on his YouTube channel about an interaction with officers from the Apple Valley Police Department.
The interaction in question occurred following reports of suspicious activity from a gun-pointing incident on Thursday, November 10, 2022. According to court records and a police report from the Apple Valley Police Department, a mother and her daughter were looking at homes in the area while wasting time before an appointment. According to the reports, while the two were driving away from Martensen’s house, he had pointed a gun at them. The two victims described Martensen as a white male in his 30s with short, light brown hair. According to the police report from the Apple Valley Police Department, an officer with the department looked up the address where the incident was reported to have occurred and pulled up an image of Mr. Martensen. The officer then sent this image to the mother, who confirmed that he looked like the guy she saw pointing a gun at her. The mother showed the image to her daughter, who also confirmed the image looked like Martensen, except that his hair was shorter and that he had a hat on at the time.
Following the confirmed identification of Martensen by the victims, the police report from the Apple Valley Police Department states officers went to Martensen’s residence to speak with him about the incident and get his side of the story. It was this interaction between Martensen and officers with the Apple Valley Police Department that became a viral video online. According to the police report, a woman answered the door when the officers arrived at the residence. The woman would later be identified in the police report as Martensen’s grandmother. The police report states the officers asked to speak with Martensen, who came to the door next. The police report states that the officers asked Martensen to step outside so they could talk to him; at this point, he became confrontational and asked if they had a warrant. Martensen was asked once more to step outside so they could have a conversation, and that was when he began to record their interaction and asked the officers for their names and badge numbers. The officers provided this information to him, and the police report states that Martensen then said he would send the video to his lawyer. The police report stated that he became very defensive after officers told Martensen about the reported incident. After interrupting the officers and avoiding their questions for several minutes, Martensen closed the door on the officers, and they left.
According to the police report from the Apple Valley Police Department, around five days later, officers conducted follow-up investigations on this incident with the neighbors in the area. During their follow-up investigation, detectives with the Apple Valley Police Department attempted to gather video footage from that day from residence with security cameras near the incident. The police report states that none of the neighbors had footage during the incident. The police report states that one neighbor did speak with a detective about suspicious activity that occurred on November 11th, the day after the gun-pointing incident and after officers had stopped by Martensen’s residence. The police report states that the neighbor reported hearing several gunshots coming from the area. The police report states they suspect another neighbor reported the incident because they saw law enforcement patrolling the area not too long after hearing the gunshots. The police report also states the neighbor reported seeing Martensen walking around the cul-de-sac, waving his arms in the air, yelling, and giving people the finger the days following the events from November 10th.
According to the police report from the Apple Valley Police Department, from November 11 to November 21, 2022, detectives reviewed Martensen’s criminal history and conducted additional interviews. During their review of his criminal history, the police report states officers found a shooting incident that occurred in Burnsville, Minnesota, in 2020, that resulted in Martensen getting arrested. During this incident, Martensen was in a vehicle as a friend was attempting to sell a firearm. During the sale, an altercation escalated into gunfire. In response to the situation, Martensen discharged a firearm that was inside the vehicle. The confrontation resulted in Martensen sustaining a gunshot wound to the foot while his friend was struck in the neck. Despite his involvement, Martensen was arrested but never formally charged. According to the police report, a relative of Martensen, who was interviewed by detectives, and also court documents, stated that Martensen had possible lingering mental health issues related to this incident. Court records also indicated that Martensen had been denied a permit to purchase a firearm in 2019 in connection to possible mental health issues.
The police report states that on December 14, 2022, Martensen was taken into custody for probable cause for second-degree assault and terroristic threats related to the incident that occurred on November 10th, 2022. Martensen's residence was then searched following the approval of a warrant. The search revealed a startling cache of firearms, ammunition, and illicit substances within Martensen's basement room, including a loaded black Ruger handgun in a holster next to Martensen's bed. The room also contained marijuana, THC wax, and military-type equipment, including a tactical helmet, body armor, and a gas mask. In total, 16 guns and two gun frames were confiscated from Martensen’s room, with five of those being “ghost guns,” or guns with no serial number. Officers seized the firearms and secured them for further investigation, including checks through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) to determine if any were stolen. Forfeiture proceedings were initiated for the confiscated items.
A list of the items confiscated from Martensen’s room can be found below:
1. Black Remington 870 SN: B6837602M
2. Black/ wooden Remington 870 SN: A144538H
3. Benelli 12 gauge shotgun SN: U06470
4. Black/ wooden Remington 1100 SN: N619021K
5. Black/ wooden Remington 870 SN: RS74425V
6. Silver/ wooden Ruger 10- 22 SN: 356- 78034
7. Black/ wooden Browning Arms SN: BRJP04449YM358
8. Black/ green Eagle Arm AR- 15 SN: M20- 01737
9. Black Glock 43 SN: AFGL786
10. Biack Sig Sauer P320 SN: 58B148280
11. Silver Ruger single 6. 22 SN: 63- 47477
12. Silver Ruger 357 Magnum SN: 3313538
13. Black P80 handgun, no serial number
14. Black/ gray P80 handgun, no serial number
15. Black/ Green Glock 26 clone, no serial number
16. Black P80 handgun frame only, no serial number
17. ( 2) Brown handgun P80 frame only, no serial numbers
18. Miscellaneous ammunition and magazines
Subsequent legal proceedings saw Martensen facing two felony charges related to the incident, including a Threat of Violence (Intent to Terrorize) and a Firearms Violation (Possession With No Serial Number). Martensen pleaded not guilty to the firearms charge but would eventually enter an Alford plea of guilt for the Threat of Violence on August 25, 2023.
On April 24, 2024, Martensen was convicted of one felony count of Threats of Violence (Intent to Terrorize), while the Firearms Violation charge was dismissed. He was sentenced to 6 days in the Dakota County Jail and placed on three years of supervised probation under the monitoring of Dakota County Community Corrections, which, according to court records, is a decrease in sentencing guidelines for a charge such as this.
According to the Apple Valley Police Department Officials, there have been no investigations by the Attorney General or POST board regarding claims of complaints or misconduct by either officer depicted in the viral video.
Cover Photo Credit: Cover Photo by Max Fleischmann on Unsplash
