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Albuquerque Police Release One Minute Of Video In Controversial Shooting

Albuquerque Police Release One Minute Of Video In Controversial Shooting

By Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times

ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Residents expressed outrage Wednesday that police released less than one minute of video in an hours-long standoff that ended with an officer-involved fatal shooting — the most recent incident in a series of deadly police shootings that have prompted a federal investigation.

A crowd is anticipated to converge on a City Council meeting Thursday night. Many want to know why the footage made public does not show the entire chain of the events that police said led to the shooting.

Police said Armand Martin, 50, came out of his home Sunday afternoon “with a handgun in each hand,” firing shots.

Martin’s wife had called police to report that her husband was threatening her and her children with a gun. Police said Martin had fired shots on the second floor of his home and toward neighbors’ homes and officers. Police responded by firing tear gas in an attempt to move him and prevent further shooting, they said.

Moments later, Martin came out of the house, firing two handguns. One officer shot Martin as he came out firing. Police did not disclose how many times or in what direction Martin was firing.

Martin, an Air Force veteran, had a history of mental illness and had been treated at a Veterans Affairs facility for “significant mental health-related issues,” Deputy Chief Eric Garcia said. An officer trained in crisis intervention was at the scene, police said.

Saturday’s shooting occurred less than four weeks after the Justice Department slammed the Albuquerque Police Department in a scathing report for a rash of what it described as unjustified officer-involved shootings. Since 2010, officers have fatally shot 25 people — four of them since mid-March, including the killing of a homeless man that touched off protests.

The Martin shooting has further exacerbated tensions. On Monday, activists took over the City Council meeting and delivered a symbolic “arrest warrant” for Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden, demanding that he step down.

The next day, residents became increasingly angry when police failed to release the entire video of the Martin shooting. Several officers activated their lapel cameras, but Garcia said officials were sorting through all of the video. It is not clear whether it will be released.

On Tuesday, police released a cell phone video taken by Martin’s son. The clip shows Martin holding a handgun and telling his family to get out of the house. He allegedly went out of control and his wife ended up calling police during a domestic dispute, police said.

A second video clip — taken from the helmet camera of a SWAT officer — shows police approaching Martin as they handcuff his bloodied and lifeless body on the driveway. Police said those actions were part of a national standard on police safety. A phone, bullet casings and two handguns can be seen near the body.

Officer Daniel Hughes, the 12-year veteran who shot Martin, was more than 50 yards away — beyond the resolution of any body-worn cameras that the department has, police said. This was Hughes’ first officer-involved shooting with the department, he said. Hughes is on administrative leave, in keeping with department policy.

Garcia also said some of the officers turned off their lapel cameras to conserve battery power during the long standoff. Others were more concerned with taking cover during the shooting rather than turning on their cameras, Garcia said.

“We did not position any officers directly in front of the house, they were all taking cover behind armored vehicles and distanced from the home during the first volley of shooting by Mr. Martin and the second, when he exited the home shooting with two handguns so you are not going to see any lapel video of the shooting,” police spokeswoman Tasia Martinez said in a written statement.

Lapel camera footage has been a point of contention for the Police Department. Some residents are still upset after officers said they were unable to recover lapel camera footage from an officer who fatally shot Mary Hawkes on April 21 — the first officer-involved deadly shooting after the federal report was issued.

Hawkes, 19, led police on a foot chase and pointed a handgun at the officer, Eden has said. The camera was sent to the manufacturer for forensic analysis, but its status remains unclear.

On Thursday, the council is expected to discuss whether the city should change the way the police chief is selected. One of the recommendations is for the position to become elected instead of being appointed by the mayor.

 

AFP Photo/Scott Olson

Albuquerque Police Again Draw Criticism After Fatal Shooting

Albuquerque Police Again Draw Criticism After Fatal Shooting

By Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times

Less than two weeks after federal officials rebuked the Albuquerque Police Department for a rash of unjustified officer-involved shootings, an officer fatally shot a 19-year-old woman suspected of stealing a vehicle before pointing a gun at police, authorities said.

Mary Hawkes became the first person to be killed by Albuquerque police since the U.S. Justice Department released a scathing report that called for a “systematic change” to address what it said was a long-ingrained culture of deadly force in the Police Department.

The woman was the foster daughter of a retired judge, Danny Hawkes, according to a friend of hers, local news media and the Associated Press. Authorities refused to confirm that late Tuesday but set a news conference for Wednesday morning. Danny Hawkes could not be reached for comment.

Police Chief Gorden Eden Jr. made a televised statement after Monday’s shooting, saying the officer fired after Hawkes led police on a foot chase.

“The suspect stopped, turned and pointed a handgun at close range,” Eden said.

Late Tuesday afternoon, police identified Jeremy Dear as the officer involved. Dear has been with the department since November 2007 and is now on administrative leave.

According to court documents, Mary Hawkes had a criminal record, including shoplifting.

But two of her friends, sisters Isabel and Luchrisa Price, said Hawkes had a good heart. Isabel Price identified her as a foster daughter of the retired judge.

“She cared about people,” Luchrisa Price said. “She would even get food and give it to the homeless. She was a wonderful person.”

Hawkes studied welding at a community college and made whatever money she could selling knives and scissors door-to-door, but eventually became homeless, Luchrisa Price said. Hawkes shoplifted food to give to other homeless people, she said.

The sisters described Hawkes as “a good person.”

Luchrisa Price said she and Hawkes dated for about a year and remained friends after their romance ended. Hawkes’ death hit her hard.

“I was pretty devastated,” she said. “I never thought anything like this would happen to her. I think it’s wrong.”

She wasn’t the only one. Hawkes’ shooting sparked a protest, a candlelight vigil and several Facebook posts in her honor.

On Tuesday, Christy Chavez expressed her anger in a post on the “Albuquerque PD in Crisis” Facebook page.

“I went to the crime scene where Mary was killed by APD yesterday. Her blood still fresh on the wall,” Chavez wrote. “This infuriates me to my core. We should not be living in fear of our civil servants! We also should not be discrediting Mary’s life because she was a ‘suspect, a thug, or a troubled teen.’ Something has got to change!”

Monday’s protest was only the latest in a series of demonstrations — one of which turned violent last month — targeting the Albuquerque Police Department. Since 2010, officers have shot 37 people, 23 of them fatally.

Hawkes is the third person in a little more than a month to be shot to death by Albuquerque police.

The federal recommendations came on the heels of a string of deadly officer-involved shootings, including the March 16 killing of a homeless and mentally ill man, James “Abba” Boyd, who was illegally camping in the Sandia Mountains. Boyd had been acting erratically, according to police, and got into an argument with officers before he was shot.

A video of that shooting surfaced last month, touching off protests and prompting calls for better police training, especially on how to deal with the mentally ill.

Friction between police and parts of the community, especially the poor and homeless, has been brewing for years, experts and community leaders have said.

Mayor Richard J. Berry declined to comment on the Hawkes shooting. However, he had called Boyd’s death a “game changer” and introduced a raft of proposed “sweeping changes” to be implemented by the police chief.

Also, federal officials have said they plan to meet with city leaders, community members and police union officials, among others, to discuss the recommendations and come up with a plan of action.

AFP Photo/Scott Olson

Feds Condemn Use Of Deadly Force By Albuquerque Police

Feds Condemn Use Of Deadly Force By Albuquerque Police

By Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times

Albuquerque police have used deadly force more often than necessary, resulting in a series of unjustified fatal shootings by officers, according to a damning report released Thursday by U.S. Justice Department officials.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels said the Albuquerque Police Department needs a “systematic change” to address a long-ingrained culture of using deadly force.

“This is no longer an acceptable way to proceed,” Samuels said.

Speaking to a crowded room of reporters and community leaders in a televised news conference from Albuquerque, Samuels listed a number of recommended reforms, such as stronger oversight of the department and better police training.

The federal recommendations come on the heels of a string of fatal shootings by officers, including the death March 16 of a homeless and mentally ill man, James “Abba” Boyd, who was illegally camping in the Sandia Mountains. Boyd had been acting erratically and got into a confrontation with officers before he was shot.

A video of the shooting that surfaced last month touched off mass protests and unrest in this desert city of 550,000 residents. The video also has prompted calls for better police training, especially on how to deal with the mentally ill.

Since 2010, Albuquerque police have shot 37 people, 23 of them fatally. The shootings prompted the Justice Department to open its investigation.

Mayor Richard J. Berry had called Boyd’s death a “game changer” and urged the Justice Department to expedite its investigation. He also introduced a raft of proposed “sweeping changes” to be implemented by Albuquerque police Chief Gorden Eden Jr., who has been in his post for about a month.

However, Berry stopped short of saying there was a cultural problem in the agency.

Tension between police and parts of the community has been brewing for years, and Boyd’s death was not just an isolated incident, experts and community leaders have said. A Department of Justice letter to Berry seems to agree with that assessment:

“For too long, Albuquerque officers have faced little scrutiny from their superiors in carrying out this fundamental responsibility. Despite the efforts of many committed individuals, external oversight is broken and has allowed the department to remain unaccountable to the communities it serves. Based on our investigation, we find that the department engages in a pattern or practice of using excessive force during the course of arrests and other detentions in violation of the Fourth Amendment,” the letter states.

Samuels said federal officials planned to meet with city leaders, community members and police union officials, among others, to discuss the recommendations and come up with a plan of action.

“It’s unclear how long that process will take,” Samuels said. “It is one that we are committed to for as long as it takes.”

Photo: OregonDOT via Flickr.com

Albuquerque Police Chief Defends Actions After Protest Turns Violent

Albuquerque Police Chief Defends Actions After Protest Turns Violent

By Michael Muskal, Los Angeles Times

Albuquerque police acted with restraint in dealing with a demonstration over the weekend, Police Chief Gorden Eden Jr. said Monday, but as the group evolved into a “mob mentality,” authorities were forced to use tear gas to control the situation.

At one point during the protest, which began about noon and got out of control later Sunday, a man in body armor displayed what police believed was an AK-47 and appeared to load the weapon, the chief said. The man is being sought and was not one of the four people arrested, Eden said.

He said officers have looked at videotape and images of the incident and are convinced it was a genuine weapon. “I can assure you that was not a paintball gun,” Eden told a televised news conference.

On Sunday, hundreds of people responded to calls for a demonstration protesting 37 police shootings — 23 of them fatal — since 2010. The protest came days after a video was published on YouTube showing a homeless camper, James Boyd, 38, being shot by police March 16 as he seemed about to surrender.

A group of cyberactivists called for the protest and said they would attack police websites. The chief said the police department’s website had been breached early Sunday afternoon, but it was back online by that evening. The department’s Facebook and Twitter pages were also compromised, he said.

The Justice Department is investigating the string of fatal incidents and the FBI has taken over the inquiry into the shooting of Boyd, Eden told reporters.

According to Eden, the events on Sunday appeared to be two separate protests. The first, beginning about noon, drew 300 to 350 people and was peaceful, he said.

“Later, the situation shifted from a protest to a mob,” Eden said. “It was very much a mob mentality.”

As the day went on, demonstrators became aggressive toward police, the chief said.

“Our officers were deployed for emergency response. We didn’t go looking for them, they came looking for us,” the chief said. “They threw bottles and rocks.”

Four people have been arrested on disorderly conduct charges, the chief said. One officer was slightly injured.

“We believe our officers acted with a tremendous amount of restraint,” Eden said, describing a “fluid situation” that included the use of tear gas at least twice by police.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez on Monday urged the public to remain calm while the federal investigations into the shootings are carried out.

“Albuquerque is going through a tough time, and they’ll figure it out through the investigation,” the governor told reporters at a news conference. “We want that to be thorough. We want confidence in the investigation, but I just don’t want to see anyone harmed.”

OregonDOT via Flickr.com