Please keep this thread about the specific events in ABQ. There is no need for yet another militarization-of-police debate from either side of the issue.
From watching the linked video it appears that he’s empty handed, getting his belongings together and being mostly compliant, until they pop off what appears to be a flash bang type device and sic a dog on him. You’re dealing with a nut, why light the fuse? Would you expect a different outcome by initiating a confrontation with Captain Wingnut? From my limited perspective and knowledge of the situation I’d say it was handled very poorly.
Do some searching for other videos - he had two blades, one in each hand and was most definitely NOT compliant.
If he was compliant he would still be alive.
When did he have the blades in his hands? When he was collecting his belongings, being compliant by any normal person’s definition, and they initiated a violent encounter by tossing a flash bang at an obviously mentally ill person and then loosed a K9 on him? Or, did he arm himself after having had a grenade lobbed at him?
Crazy man arms himself after thinking he’s being attacked… weird.
1+ to this. Maybe there is longer video where he has knives in his hands during the conversation with the cops, but I don’t see them in his hands when he is picking his stuff up. To me it appears that he arms himself after being attacked by a grenade and dog. Unless there is more accurate video or from different views that clearly show the guy being a threat to the officers I’ll stick with my impression. They handled this situation poorly and ended up killing a guy.
Maybe I’m crazy, but the bean bag or even a taser should have come before the grenade, dog and bullets not after. Why risk a good dog before trying a stand off device? Is the escalation of force anywhere such that a less than lethal is higher on the chain than a dogs teeth???
Guess you guys have selective reading.
Do your research and post accordingly, I wont spoon feed you info you should learn yourself.
Even if he had knives, I don’t know if the crime (squatting) was worth risking his life, their lives (you know since guys had rounds zipping over their shoulders it would appear). If it was really that big of a deal, bust out the pepper ball gun (im sure they have a couple), and lay waste with the thing until he has enough.
Hindsight is 20/20, but I don’t know that ratcheting up the intensity of force was worth it.
And no, if you are close enough for a taser to work, and the hobo did have a knife…taser is a huge no go.
Completely agree with you.
Given some of the discussion in this thread, I expected the video to be a little less black and white. After watching it, I’m surprised anyone is defending the officers involved (and given my interactions in previous discussions, I’d have thought myself pretty hard to surprise). Murder is a good charge in this case and with the officer’s record, first degree might also be a good choice. If some massive smoking gun that we haven’t seen yet doesn’t come out then I hope he spends the rest of his life behind bars.
These are my feelings as well. How anyone could review that video and think- “yeah that was a justified killing” is beyond ludicrous.
I watched it about 20 times trying to see what some here are debating as justifiable; it ain’t there.
Either you guys are listening to a different video that had something about an officer talking about killing OR you’re assuming the “I could kill you right now if we were at the bus station…” statement is coming from a cop, but it’s from the dead guy…
Am I not hearing something and/or is there a different video that has this? Grunz?
Irish linked a separate video on page 5 or 6 where the officers says he would “shoot the guy in the penis with his shotgun”.
There is a separate recording where one of the LEO who is charged mentions shooting the perp. This happend while they were on the way to the incident.
My sticking point particular to this incident is the last second escalation where they blast the guy with a falshbang when he seemed to be cooperating and moving his stuff. At this time his hands were full of bags, he was moving off the hill and cooperating. I’m pretty sure Tthis ends very differently and better for all if the LEOs didnt do that.
It does seem he was cooperating finally so it would be interesting to know what the thought process was to initiate as they did with the FB and K9. No doubt that will come out in the proceedings
The case against two former New Mexico police officers charged in the death of a homeless man ended in a mistrial Tuesday when jurors told the judge they were hopelessly deadlocked on the counts of second-degree murder.
Judge Alisa Hadfield declared the mistrial after more than two days of deliberations in the case against Keith Sandy and Dominique Perez. Nine jurors wanted to acquit the men, and three were holding out for a guilty verdict…
Sandy and Perez shot mentally ill, homeless camper James Boyd in 2014 after receiving complaints he was acting erratically on a rocky hillside. They were among 19 officers who swarmed the area with rifles, tactical gear, flash grenades, stun guns and K-9 units, a show of force that the prosecutor questioned throughout the trial.
The defendants, who are no longer on the force, said they opened fire because Boyd had two pocket knives and they believed he posed a deadly threat to a K-9 handler who had lost control of his police service dog and chased the animal, bringing him within 9 to 12 feet of Boyd…
This whole case was a cluster. I for one am glad James Boyd is dead as we are better off without him. The incoming DA has discretion in whether or not to re-try the case and I hope he does not, for the sake of the taxpayer.
I just watched the shooting part of the video over and over. It looks like the man is turning away from the officers when shot at several times by the closest officer. The officer with the camera looks like he shoots twice. The dog did not seem effective at all, was the dog sent on purpose r did it just release at the sound of the explosion? I know they’re trained to attack on gunfire, the dog looked confused. A FB would do that. It would be helpful to read their reports to see what they said and felt at the time. It is a CF for sure.
From the article Irish linked earlier: The defendants said they opened fire because Boyd had two pocket knives and they believed he posed a deadly threat to a K-9 handler who had lost control of his police service dog and chased the animal, bringing him within 9 to 12 feet of Boyd.
So people with schizophrenia don’t get patted down?!?! “He drew the knives after they tried to pat him down, something the prosecutor said is known to agitate people with schizophrenia.”
On a side note why is one officer carrying what look like two less lethal shotguns? Different rounds in each gun? Impact VS Gas?
So, did the jury have the option for lesser charges? Winner, winner, chicken dinner for TAZ.