List of Albuquerque police shootings
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The police force of Albuquerque, New Mexico has been involved in a number of shooting incidents and has used other forms of force, many of these involving the use of SWAT teams. The city's police department was the subject of a Department of Justice Investigation in 2014 which found that the department "engages in a pattern or practice of use of excessive force, including deadly force, in violation of the Fourth Amendment".[1] The report also stated that the department suffered from "structural and systemic deficiencies-including insufficient oversight, inadequate training, and ineffective policies".[1] As of 2025, New Mexico had the second highest rate per capita of killings by police officers, after Alaska.[2] Additionally, a 2021 study by the Lancet medical journal found that official statistics under-reported Albuquerque police killings from 1980-2018, with approximately 26.4% of deaths having been misclassified.[3]
Incidents of police shootings
Pre-2010
| Date | Officer name(s) | Civilian name(s) | Outcome | Notes | Officer Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 22, 2004 | Sean Wallace | Leo Lopez | Lopez killed | shot during traffic stop after officer feared vehicle threat during heroin investigation[4][5] | Acquitted [4] |
| June 5, 2007 | Russell Carter | Jay Martin Murphy | Murphy killed |
|
|
| November 6, 2009 | Brandon Carr | Roderick Jones | Jones killed | Carr fired 18 months later[7] |
2010
| Date | Officer name(s) | Civilian name(s) | Outcome | Notes | Officer Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 9, 2010 | Andrew Cooke | Aaron Renfro | Renfro killed |
|
Cooke cleared by grand jury[8] |
| January 13, 2010 | Brett Lampiris-Tremba, Sean Wallace also present | Kenneth Ellis III[9] | Ellis killed | Ellis holding gun to his own head | |
| January 29, 2010 | Sean Wallace | Wayne Cordova | Cordova killed | Cordova suspected of fleeing after possibly stealing a car | |
| March 4, 2010 | Roger Legendre | Jose Castillo, Tanya Martinez, Raymond Carillo[13] | Castillo charged with assaulting a police officer | Police shot at car after beer shoplifting incident, Giant gas station, Coors, and Quail Castillo driving | Legendre was later promoted to sergeant[14] |
| March 29, 2010 | Kevin Sanchez | Mickey Owings[15] | Owings killed | Sanchez shot at moving vehicle in Walmart parking lot, I-40 and Quail Pregnant female in Owings vehicle unharmed 40+ witnesses | *The city's independent review officer ruled the shooting was justified[16] The DoJ used this shooting as an example of "Albuquerque police officers' own recklessness" leading to use of violence[16] Wrongful death lawsuit filed[17] |
| April 14, 2010 | Zach Stephenson | Benjamin Marquez | Marquez shot 3-4 times in upper body | Marquez smoking a cigarette while pumping gas at Broadway and Gibson | |
| June 10, 2010 | Eric Brown, Anthony Sedler |
Chris Hinz Northeast Heights near Juan Tabo Boulevard and Spain Avenue |
Hinz killed | Hinz intoxicated at home. Police said he was firing his weapon inside his home[18] | Sedler later shoots Parrish Dennison |
| June 14, 2010 | Aaron Zwicky | Julian Calbert | Calbert killed |
|
A grand jury found the shooting justified[20] |
| July 27, 2010 | Jeremy Hollier, Anthony Glodon | Len Fuentes, a diagnosed schizophrenic, was reportedly unable to access treatment[21] | Fuentes killed 3400 block Crest SE | domestic violence call[22] | Hollier arrested in 2012 for felony domestic violence, still with APD[23] |
| August 17, 2010 | Josh Brown | Enrique Carrasco | Carrasco shot at Montgomery and San Mateo after slashing his girlfriend's tires | Carrasco jumped on Brown's hood and repeatedly stabbed officer's driver-side window with a knife and broke it, then tried to open the door, said Public Safety Director Darren White | |
| September 14, 2010 | Leah Kelly | Chandler Barr | Barr hospitalized, survived being shot, 2nd and Central |
|
Barr filed suit for $340,000 in medical bills and pain and suffering[24] A federal jury found no liability.[25] |
| October 19, 2010 | Drew Bader, Ramon Ornelas | Daniel Gonzales | Tucumcari police asked NM State Police for help, State Police call in Albuquerque SWAT | Gonzales came to door with two rifles | APD SWAT officers cleared[27] |
| October 31, 2010 | David Sprague | Alexei Sinkevitch 6500 block of Tierra Prieta NW | Sinkevitch had rifle, and bled to death on floor of his home[28] | 911 reports of hit-and-runs on Estrella Brillante NW Callers took plate Police traced to Sinkevitch | |
| November 11, 2010 | Brian Pitzer, Doug Moore | Russell Tenorio 1400 block Alamo SE | Tenorio survived, in hospital 2½ months, lost a kidney. | Tenorio had fetal alcohol symptom, was threatening to hurt himself[29] | Pitzer announced he was "going lethal" before entering the home,[29] resulted in a federal lawsuit[30] |
2011
| Date | Officer name(s) | Civilian name(s) | Outcome | Notes | Officer Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 9, 2011 | Byron "Trey" Economidy (Detective) | Jacob Mitschelen | Mitschelen killed | traffic stop[31] | wrongful death lawsuit settled for $300,000[31] |
| April 12, 2011 | Christopher J. Brown | Christopher Torres | Torres shot in his parents' back yard | father says police used a battering ram to enter the house even though he was present and offered to let them in[32] | Jury award over $10 million, later settled for $6 million[33] |
| May 10, 2011 | Sean Wallace | Alan Gomez[34] | Gomez killed while holding spoon. Wrongful death suit settled in December 2013 for $900,000[35] | "the officer shot Gomez without verifying a threat, and after receiving information that Gomez could not have been a threat because he was no longer armed."[36] | Earlier wrongful death suit settled for $235,000. Wallace first shot a civilian on September 22, 2004, in Chimayó when he was an NMSP narcotics agent; tort claim notice filed late December 2004[37] Shot and killed second civilian January 29, 2010.[38] |
| June 4, 2011 | Troy Nikko, William Thomas, Michael Oates[39] | Raymond Garcia | Garcia killed Lomas and Palomas[40] | Garcia caught carjacking, officers pinned his car in near a chainlink fence in front of Cross Country Auto Sales[41] | |
| June 26, 2011 | Damian Lujan | Orlando Paisano | Paisano tased, shot eight times, Bell and Dallas SE[42] | Paisano holding bayonet, police say[42] | |
| August 30, 2011 | Jim Perdue | Michael Marquez | Marquez shot in field, 60th and Central | Michael Marquez an armed robbery suspect |
|
2012
| Date | Officer name(s) | Civilian name(s) | Outcome | Notes | Officer Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 4, 2012 | Mario Perez | Mark Macoldowna, James Kellogg,[44] Kymberly Bates | Macoldowna killed, Bates and Kellogg arrested | armed robbery of St. Pius X complex | |
| March 19, 2012 | Martin Smith | Daniel Tillison Marquette and Texas |
Tillison killed[6] | wrongful death lawsuit alleges Smith was diagnosed with PTSD and APD knew of it[45] | DA found no probable cause for charges[46] |
| March 21, 2012 | Russ Carter | Gary Atencio | Atencio shot on Laguna Pueblo after pursuit | Carter's 3rd shooting[6] | wrongful death lawsuit dismissed[47] |
| April 19, 2012 | Mike Hill | Dennis Aragon | Aragon shot three times but was expected to survive | police say Aragon fired shots in the air then pointed rifle at police | |
| August 6, 2012 | Jason Peck (APD sgt) | Dominick Solis-Mora[48] | Solis-Mora shot in stomach then recovered | Solis-Mora said to sell $240 worth of meth to undercover Peck | DA and APD Internal Affairs clear Peck of wrongdoing Solis-Mara subsequently involved a number of other criminal incidents |
2013
| Date | Officer name(s) | Civilian name(s) | Outcome | Notes | Officer Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 5, 2013 | Perdue, Sedler and Aragon | Parrish Dennison | Dennison killed Menaul and Louisiana | Dennison driver of woman trying to sell stolen banjo[49] | Sedler had previously shot Chris Hinz[50] Sedler cleared of wrongdoing[51] |
| March 19, 2013 | APD | Kendall Caroll 13000 block Constitution |
killed by State Police, APD also fired |
Carroll had previously shot and wounded a police officer[52] | |
| July 5, 2013 | Jeff Bludworth, Katherine Wright |
Vincent Wood | convenience store Montgomery and San Mateo | previously transported to mental health facility | Shooting ruled justified Wrongful death lawsuit settled for $55,000[53] |
| October 26, 2013 | Officer Luke McPeek and others |
Christopher Chase[54] | Chase killed | Chase had "cop killer" tattooed on his knuckles[55] | award ceremony[56] |
| October 28, 2013 | Brian Pitzer | Joaquin Ortega shot Jefferson and Central[57] | Ortega hospitalized then jailed on charges of robbery and carjacking | Prosecutors found no probable cause to charge Pitzer[58] Pitzer involved in two prior shootings, neither fatal[59] | |
| November 15, 2013 | Peter Romero | Robert Garcia Sr. | Garcia shot but survived, received 3-year sentence Traffic stop, San Mateo Carlisle |
Garcia had rifle, had been drinking Later admitted he was attempting suicide by cop |
Garcia apologized to Romero |
| December 1, 2013 | Luke McPeek, David Munoz and Jim Edison |
Shane Sherrill | Sherrill had felony warrants, holding brake pad |
No charges filed against police[60] | |
| December 8, 2013 | Hector Marquez, Nathan Cadroy-Croteau |
Andy Snider | Snider killed | Snider said to charge officers with hammer[61] | Wrongful death lawsuit filed 2015[62] Both officers still on active duty |
2014
| Date | Officer name(s) | Civilian name(s) | Outcome | Notes | Officer Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 9, 2014 | Russell Carter (Detective, Sedler and Ornelas also present | Jeremy Robertson's tires, Walgreens in Rio Rancho | Robertson uninjured[63] Robertson charged with fleeing, assaulting officer/[63] | Robertson wanted for parole violations | Both Sedler and Ornelas on SWAT team Sedler's 2nd shooting, Ornelas' 3rd[50] |
| March 16, 2014 | Keith Sandy (Detective), Officer Dominique Perez |
James Boyd | Boyd killed | camping without a permit displaying knife to officers who tried to frisk him |
Both charged with open count of murder.
Boyd's family awarded $5 million settlement.[11] |
| March 25, 2014 | James Eichel | Alfred Redwine | Redwine killed | Redwine was upset because he had just lost custody of his 5-year-old son | |
| April 21, 2014 | Jeremy Dear | Mary Hawkes | Hawkes killed | Hawkes suspected of having been in a stolen car. Car's owner later told police Hawkes had dated his room-mate[64] |
|
| May 3, 2014 | Daniel Hughes | Armand Martin | Martin killed in his Ventana Ranch home[68] | Martin suffered from depression, "just went crazy," wife said.[69] Martin ran out of his home while discharging his handgun. | DA and APD Internal Affairs clear Hughes of wrongdoing[70] |
| May 22, 2014 | Ryan Graves, Brian Fuchs |
Ralph Chavez | Chavez killed, 2nd at I-40 |
|
DA declined to press charges[71] |
2015
| Date | Officer name(s) | Civilian name(s) | Outcome | Notes | Officer Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 9, 2015 | Greg Brachle | Jacob Grant (APD detective)[72] | Friendly fire incident, Jacob was working undercover and the other cops thought that he was a criminal. The criminal complaint describes a meth purchase. Charges were filed against Damian Bailey and Edmond Vester for trafficking cocaine, and conspiracy to commit trafficking[73] | Officer Brachle's 2nd shooting Grant will need medical for the rest of his life, settled lawsuit for $6.5 million and medical expenses |
police oversight board recommended firing but Brachle had already retired "APD said since that shooting, the department has improved supervision, training and equipment for undercover officers. In addition, it is now mandatory to attend all briefings before each operation.[74][75] |
2016
2018
In 2018, there were 10 officer-involved shootings in Albuquerque, 7 of which were fatal.[78]
2019
In 2019, there were 8 officer-involved shootings in Albuquerque, 4 of which were fatal.[78]
| Date | Officer name(s) | Civilian name(s) | Outcome | Notes | Officer Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 3, 2019 | One Albuquerque detective[79] | Unidentified man[79] | Unidentified man killed in apparent shootout with detective[79] | ||
| August 22, 2019 | Paul Durham, Kyle King and Randy Serrano, accompanied by two other officers | Roger Schafer[80] | Schafer shot at a bus stop at Eubank and Copper NE | "Multiple 911 calls" reported Schafer was tossing a gun from hand to hand, "pulling the action back" and pointing the gun at traffic. It was a BB gun.[80] | |
| October 14, 2019 | APD and SWAT[81] | Daniel James Wood[81] | Wood killed[81] | ||
| October 25, 2019 | At least three officers[82] | Unidentified man[82] | Unidentified man killed after confronted by officers accusing him of attempted carjacking[82] |
2020
In 2020, there were 10 officer-involved shootings in Albuquerque, 6 of which were fatal.[78]
| Date | Officer name(s) | Civilian name(s) | Outcome | Notes | Officer Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 6, 2020 | Two Albuquerque detectives[83] | Orlando Abeyta[84] | Abeyta killed[84] | ||
| March 30, 2020 | Joseph Bush, Edgar Sandoval[85] | Valente Acosta-Bustillos[85] | Acosa-Bustillos killed[85] | ||
| August 11, 2020 | Unknown APD officers | Ken Reiss | Reiss killed | Reiss had called 911 to report multiple people breaking into his house. When police arrived, they saw a man running in the alleyway. They say he shot at them. They fired multiple times according to neighbors. As Reiss lay screaming they shot four more times according to neighbors, then the screaming stopped.[86] According to body camera footage released by the police, Reiss was indeed holding a gun but the footage does not show him shooting at the police.
-second police shooting resulting in death in less than 6 hours |
2021
In 2021, there were 9 officer-involved shootings in Albuquerque, 3 of which were fatal.[78]
| Date | Officer name(s) | Civilian name(s) | Outcome | Notes | Officer Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 5, 2021 | Curtis Hoffman, Nathaniel Matheson | Dalton Cunningham | Cunningham injured[87] | ||
| July 31, 2021 | Unidentified officer | Robert Savelli | Savelli killed | Officer pulled Savelli over because he did not have a license plate on his moped-style scooter.[88] | |
| August 15, 2021 | Max Denerstein, Christopher Mings | Eric Padilla | Padilla killed.[89] | ||
| August 19, 2021 | Mario Verbeck, James Eichel, Harry Gunderson, Sean Kenny | James Ramirez | 4 officers and Ramirez injured.[90] | Officers received awards for their actions.[91] | |
| August 20, 2021 | Josh Richards, L. McPeek | David Martinez | Martinez critically injured | Richards involved in one prior shooting; McPeek involved in two prior shootings.[92] |
2022
In 2022, there were a record number of 18 officer-involved shootings in Albuquerque.[93]
| Date | Officer name(s) | Civilian name(s) | Outcome | Notes | Officer Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 25, 2022 | Unidentified APD detectives | Raphael Marquez | Marquez killed[94] | ||
| March 14, 2022 | At least 2 unidentified APD officers | Unidentified man | Subject killed; 2 officers injured; 1 bystander killed and 2 bystanders injured by subject[95] | ||
| March 14, 2022 | Randy Serrano, Derek Taylor, Greg Doose | John Dawson Hunter | Hunter killed; 1 bystander injured by Hunter | Hunter was shooting at cars on the road from his home prior to incident. Officers discharged a total of 12 rounds at Hunter. Serrano involved in one prior shooting.[96] | |
| March 19, 2022 | William Young, Jonathan Mares | Collin Neztsosie | Neztsosie killed | Neztsosie stated that he intended to shoot passersby in cars, and then himself.[97] | |
| March 29, 2022 | Justin Collins, Andrew Herpolsheimer | Donovan Bookout | No injuries[98] | ||
| April 12, 2022 | Damian Lujan, Jerry Arnold | Shannon Candelario | Candelario injured | Lujan involved in three prior shootings.[99] | |
| June 19, 2022 | Tristan Garcia[100] | Frank Baty | Baty killed | Baty had an airsoft gun in his truck. | Put on temporary administrative leave.[101] |
| July 5, 2022 | Matthew Silva | James Kevin Langlois | Langlois dead of apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. | None of Silva's shots hit Langlois.[102] | |
| July 21, 2022 | Robert Sanchez | Wendel Bryan Tagle | Wendel killed | Wendel involved in a DV incident prior to officers' arrival. Sanchez involved in another OIS in 2018.[103] | |
| August 22, 2022 | Harold Sennett | Unidentified man | No injuries | Subject shot and killed a woman as officers arrived.[104] | |
| August 28, 2022 | Dustin Ketchum, Marcos Flores, Kenneth Skeens | Keshawn Thomas | Thomas killed | Thomas had been sleeping in his vehicle which was parked at a gas station. A passer-by called for a welfare check, as the vehicle had not moved for several hours. APD officers made contact with Thomas, the sole occupant of the vehicle. They questioned Thomas, who was intoxicated, outside of his vehicle. During questioning Thomas mentioned to them he had a firearm in the vehicle. They allowed him to return to his vehicle in order to retrieve his cellphone. Officers claim that he then pointed a firearm at them, causing them to open fire on Thomas. Thomas was transported to a local trauma center where he later died.[105][106] | The officers involved received verbal and written reprimands, Skeens was fired due to a matter unrelated to this case. Lawsuit settlement was later granted to Thomas' family in March 2025.[107] Retrial against Skeens related to wrongful arrest of Matthew McManus gets underway starting April 1, 2025.[108] |
| September 21, 2022 | Quan La | Gabriel Garcia | Garcia injured[109] | ||
| September 27, 2022 | Adam Portillos, Benjamin Daffron | Oron Newson | Newson injured[110] | ||
| October 6, 2022 | Unidentified detective | Daniel Rodriguez | No injuries[111] | ||
| November 5, 2022 | Nicholas Steward | Julian Sanchez | Sanchez killed | Steward believed that Sanchez had fired his gun, but an investigation found that Sanchez's gun was not fired.[112] | |
| November 10, 2022 | Five officers, including Chance Gore and Alex Couch | Jesús "Jessie" Crosby | Crosby killed | Five officers approached Crosby, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and experiencing a crisis. The officers intended to arrest Crosby for trespassing. when Crosby would not surrender, two officers opened fire at Crosby and two shot him with Tasers. | Crosby's family received a $6.5 million settlement.[11] |
| November 25, 2022 | Arniel Sampang, Christopher Taddoni, Jacob Muñoz | Blaine Denetdele | Denetdele killed[113] |
2023
| Date | Officer name(s) | Civilian name(s) | Outcome | Notes | Officer Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 29, 2023 | Anthony Guerrera, Ralph Rodriguez, Garrett Maxson, Eduardo Munoz, Angel Ortiz-Arviso | Francisco Macias[114] | |||
| May 10, 2023 | Alex Castellano, Francisco Hernandez | Kevin Trujillo | Trujillo injured | Hernandez involved in one prior shooting.[115] | |
| May 16, 2023 | Unidentified Investigative Support detective | Isaac Reyes | Reyes injured | Detective involved in two prior shootings.[116] | |
| May 19, 2023 | Richard Lakey, Steven Raschke | David Gaylor | Gaylor killed[117] | ||
| June 24, 2023 | Gianfranco Di Paolo, Brandon Perez, Anthony Trujillo, Damian Dudnow | Mark Peter | Peter killed[118] | ||
| June 29, 2023 | Brenda Johnson, Eric Wilensky, Violeta Baca, Christian Cordova | Jeramiah Salyards | Salyards killed; 2 bystanders injured by police gunfire | Salyards was wanted as a suspect in a stabbing incident earlier that evening. Cordova was involved in a prior OIS.[119] | |
| July 20, 2023 | Zachary Herbst | Emmanuel Galaviz Campos | Galaviz killed; 1 officer injured[120] | ||
| August 17, 2023 | Garrett Howington | Pablo Abreu-Peña | Abreu-Peña injured and escaped; captured 2 days later.[121] | ||
| November 16, 2023 | Jason Allred, Beau Wright-Brown, Daniel Yurcisim, Adrian Miranda | Efren Ramirez | Ramirez injured | Officers shot Ramirez 8 times.[122] | |
| November 21, 2023 | Zachary Earles | Pablo Pacheco | Pacheco injured[123] | ||
| November 25, 2023 | Angelo Lovato | Pete Martinez | Martinez killed | Officer was involved in one prior shooting.[124] | |
| December 8, 2023 | Justin Jones, Raymond Marquez, Phillp Meier | Mark Colson | Colson killed | Officers pursued Colson after identifying him as a suspect in recent armed robberies. Colson fled on foot from officers while holding a handgun, and officers shot and killed him.[125] | |
| December 30, 2023 | APD Officers Zachary Garris, Isaiah Relaford, and Howard Perry | Santiago Perez | Perez and Garris injured. | Officers were looking for a vehicle that was reported stolen, and found Perez with the vehicle. When confronted, Perez allegedly fired two shots at officers, hitting Garris' hands. Relaford and Perry returned fire at Perez, with Perry striking Perez in the arm and leg.[126] |
2024
In 2024, there were 13 officer-involved shootings in Albuquerque.[127]
| Date | Officer name(s) | Civilian name(s) | Outcome | Notes | Officer Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 25, 2024 | Tristan Garcia[100] | Joseph Baca | Baca killed | Baca was allegedly pointing a gun at bystanders.[128] Baca's gun was later found to be unloaded. Garcia was involved in a prior shooting in 2022. | Placed on leave and then reinstated.[100] |
| February 1, 2024 | 2 unidentified APD officers | Unidentified man | Unidentified man dead | The unidentified man was experiencing a mental health crisis. Two officers opened fire, but the man may have died from a self-incflicted gunshot wound. | Officers placed on administrative leave.[129] |
| March 6, 2024 | 2 unidentified New Mexico State Police officers | Francisco Hernandez | Hernandez killed. | Hernandez was involved in an altercation with Sandia PD a few days before. He attempted to flee from officers and drew a gun, and two officers shot and killed him.[130] | Officers placed on administrative leave.[131] |
| March 17, 2024 | Unidentified BSCO and/or NMSP officer(s) | Jaremy Smith | Smith injured | Smith was wanted for killing a NMSP officer 2 days beforehand.[132] | |
| March 17, 2024 | Unknown Bernalillo County Sheriff officers | Two unidentified men | No injuries | Officers fired at least one shot at two men in a "suspicious" car.[133] | |
| March 19, 2024 | David Nix | Mariah Voigt | Voigt killed | Officers allegedly mistook Voigt's cellphone for a gun. | Placed on leave and then reinstated.[134] |
| March 30, 2024 | Nathien Apodaca, Hernan Conchas | Alijah Archuleta | Archuleta injured | Officers responded to a call about a domestic dispute from Archuleta's girlfriend's mother. Officers saw Archuleta with a gun and shot multiple times at his fleeing vehicle. Suspects apprehended Archuleta after he fled on foot.[135] | |
| April 11, 2024[136] | 2 unidentified APD officers | Mark Benavidez | Benavidez killed | Benavidez's girlfriend was wanted for armed robbery. When APD arrested her, Benavidez took an officer's gun and fired at officers. two officers shot Benavidez 5 times.[137] The officers were later found to have used racial slurs and language glorifying violence after the incident.[138] | |
| April 30, 2024 | Unidentified officer(s) | Nicolas Roach | Roach injured[139] | ||
| June 20, 2024 | Unknown APD officer(s) | Dale Meador | Meador killed | Meador and an unidentified woman had warrants out for their arrest, and were stopped for driving a stolen car. Meador threatened the woman with a gun, officers administered less lethal munitions, and then one officer shot Meador and killed him.[140][141] | |
| August 17, 2024 | Truitt Bushnell, Robert Sanchez | Derek Pickett | Pickett killed. | Sanchez, who was involved in 2 prior fatal shootings, fired the fatal shot at Pickett.[142] | |
| October 13, 2024 | Jeff Schwarzel, Reanna Torres, Vanesa Zuniga | Matthew Sanchez | Sanchez killed; Schwarzel injured by friendly fire | Sanchez drew a gun, that was later found to be unloaded, in a confrontation with officers. Officers fired eight bullets at Sanchez, killing him and injuring Schwarzel.[143] | All three officers placed on leave.[144] |
| October 18, 2024 | Precious Cadena, Zachary Earles[145] | Matthew "Solo" Garcia | Garcia killed. | Garcia killed while handcuffed in the back of a police car.[146] | Officers' conduct ruled in violation of policy.[145]
The officers involved were placed on leave until cleared by a mental health professional.[147] Garcia's family sued the city of Albuquerque.[146] |
| November 11, 2024 | Zachary Herbst, Miguel Rodriguez, Derek Maines[148] | Anthony Hernandez | Hernandez killed; 3 bystanders injured. | Hernandez was pointing a gun at a child. Officers told him to drop the gun, but he fired at them. It is unclear whose bullets injured the bystanders.[149] Herbst was involved in 2 prior shootings.[148] |
2025
In 2025, there were 15 officer-involved shootings in Albuquerque, 12 of which were fatal.[150]
| Date | Officer name(s) | Civilian name(s) | Outcome | Notes | Officer Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 24, 2025 | Brandon Watts | Anthony James Williams | Williams killed; Watts and one bystander injured | Officers had questioned Williams the previous night for scaring his neighbors; they responded to a call about a break-in, and Williams threatened them. Williams and Watts exchanged gunfire and Watts died on the scene.[151] | |
| January 30, 2025 | Unknown APD officers | Matthias Wynkoop | Wynkoop dead of self-inflicted gunshot wound. | Police responded to Wynkoop's 911 call reporting suicidal thoughts. Crisis counselors were able to speak with Wynkoop, but he eventually pointed his weapon at officers and was shot at several times. Wynkoop got back into his vehicle and shot himself.[152] | |
| February 23, 2025 | Unknown APD officers | Benjamin Raymond | Raymond killed. | Police responded to a domestic violence call from Raymond's wife. Raymond, a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, attempted to flee from police and was tackled. Raymond threatened to shoot the officers, and they fired at least 9 shots at him.[153] | |
| February 28, 2025 | Jonathan Barela and Amanda Marquez[154] | David McElvain | McElvain killed | Officers entered McElvain's home without permission while doing a wellness check on McElvain, who was suicidal. McElvain emerged, holding a gun, and Officer Barela shot him 3 times. McElvain's gun was later found to be unloaded.[153] | A representative of McElvain's estate sued APD for wrongful death in 2026. Both officers are still employed by APD and have not been involved in a shooting since.[154] |
| March 20, 2025 | 1 unidentified APD detective | Julian Garcia | Garcia injured | Garcia was wanted in connection with a shooting in 2024 and was charged with murder. Officers used less lethal munitions. the detective who shot Garcia was involved in 5 prior shootings.[155] | |
| May 29, 2025 | Christopher Brito, Joshua Lerma | Jorge Dominguez | Dominguez and police K-9 killed, both by police gunfire.[156] | Dominguez was being pursued for violating parole. Dominguez had a loaded gun, but there was no evidence that it was fired in the altercation.[157] | |
| June 15, 2025 | One unknown APD officer[158] | Gabriel Moralez | Moralez injured | Officers responded to a call about a robbery at a gas station. They used less lethal munitions on Moralez but opened fire after he drew a gun. | Officer remained on-duty.[159] |
| June 17, 2025 | Jonathan Kreamer, Michael Morales, Angel Avalos | Desiree Herrera | Herrera killed | Police responded to a call about Herrera trespassing. Herrera, who was believed to be experiencing a mental health crisis, stole a gun from a security guard and later began firing it into the air. Officers returned fire and killed her when she struck a car near officers.[160] | |
| July 4, 2025 | Dominic Sanchez | Jerry Baldonado | Baldonado injured | Baldonado, an autistic man, pointed an airsoft pellet gun at officers, and Sanchez shot him three times.[161] | |
| July 15, 2025 | Four unknown APD officers, one of whom was involved in a prior shooting, including Matthew Silva. | Sammy Jenkins | Jenkins killed | APD responded to a call from Jenkins' wife, reporting that he was suicidal. Jenkins shot at APD officers from an upstairs bedroom, and they returned fire and killed him.[162][163] | |
| August 2, 2025 | Two unknown APD officers | Martin Hernandez[164] | Hernandez killed; 1 bystander injured | Officers responded to a domestic violence call in the area. One officer shot a less-lethal round at the suspect. The suspect shot at least 1 bullet at the officers, and one officer shot a lethal round. | Officer who shot lethal round placed on standard administrative leave.[165] |
| August 19, 2025 | Christopher Vaughn | Leilani Tripp | Tripp killed | A woman, who was allegedly holding a knife and had a history of mental illness, was shot by APD officers at an affordable housing complex.[166] [167] | |
| September 29, 2025 | Diego Tena | Brian Womack | Womack killed | Officers responded to Womack's 911 call about a woman trying to enter his apartment. When officers arrived, they heard screaming inside the apartment and entered. They saw Womack hit a woman in the head with a hammer, fired at him, and then attempted to administer first aid, but Womack died on the scene.[168] | |
| November 3, 2025 | Zackary Herbst | Claude Laska | Laska critically injured | Officers responded to a call about Laska abusing his girlfriend and shooting someone in an apartment building. Laska told officers that he would shoot them if they tried to arrest him. Laska fired at least 4 shots at officers, and Herbst shot him once in the neck. | Herbst was involved in 4 shootings prior to this one, one of which was fatal.[169] |
| December 21, 2025 | Officers Michael Golden and Christopher Cooke | Luis Arreola-Palma | Arreola-Palma killed; Officer Golden shot but uninjured.[150] | Police attempted to arrest Arreola-Palma, who had two outstanding warrants. When Arreola-Palma shot at an officer and fled, the officers shot him "roughly 5 or 6 times". The bullet that Arreola-Palma shot struck the officer's radio, which "saved his life".[170] |
2026
So far, there have been 8 shootings by APD in 2026, with 6 resulting in deaths.
| Date | Officer name(s) | Civilian name(s) | Outcome | Notes | Officer Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 10, 2026 | Several officers including Brad Hess[171] | James Litteral | Litteral killed. | Officers shot and killed Litteral, who was suspected of robbery, during a foot chase.[172] | |
| February 3, 2026 | APD and SWAT officers including Eric Brown | Roman Kirby | Kirby killed | An officer shot Kirby after a standoff nearly six hours long, in which Kirby pointed his gun at civilians and officers and a crisis negotiator called Kirby nearly 100 times.[173] | |
| May 24, 2026 | Unknown APD officers | Dwayne Wilson | Wilson injured. | Police responded to a domestic violence call by Wilson's girlfriend, who was later able to flee the scene. When police arrived, Wilson was seen with a gun in his waistband. Police fired at Wilson when he allegedly drew the gun, but did not fire.[172] | |
| May 26, 2026 | Officer Tyler Sanchez, David Werner | Jose Manuel Armas | Armas killed; two officers injured with shattered glass. | Armas called APD because he was experiencing suicidal thoughts. Officers allege that Armas fired a gun at them, but Armas' family members state that he had fired it into the air and was unarmed when the police shot him. Armas' family allege that APD made no attempts to deescalate the situation.[174] | |
| May 29, 2026 | Two unknown APD officers. | Robert "Chuco" Salas | Salas killed. | APD responded to a call reporting trespassing. They found Salas, who had allegedly recently cut off his ankle monitor, and who allegedly brandished a large knife at the officers. Officers told Salas to put the knife away, and shot at him 4 times when he ran towards an officer.[175] | |
| June 2, 2026 | Unknown APD officer. | Benjamin Siegling | Siegling injured | Siegling had two felony warrants and was reportedly armed with a knife. An officer opened fire when he stepped towards them with the knife. | APD Chief Cecily Barker stated that APD would move up their officer-involved shooting review, since this was the fourth OIS in 10 days.[176] |
| July 3, 2026 | Officer Preston Harris, Ralph Rodriguez, Jed Jeffries, Diana Magallanes | Stephen Thomas Griego | Griego Killed | Griego was involved in an altercation another man, Juan Ortega. After Ortega shoved Griego, Griego left and retrieved a handgun to shoot Ortega. Officers then ran toward the area, and several shots were fired at the shooter, killing him. A passerby was also struck by gunfire but survived. Ortega also survived the injuries but died days later during an unrelated drug overdose.[177] | |
| August 11, 2026 | Two Unknown APD officers. | Sean Omara | Omara Killed | Officers responded to a residence of a caller who was making false claims earlier. Omara fired at them with over 120 rounds, while wearing a ballistic vest. Two officers shot back.[178] | |
Other use of force incidents
| Date | Officer name(s) | Civilian name(s) | Outcome | Notes | Officer Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2012 | Aaron Zwicky | Patrick Dennison Coors and Central |
|
Zwicky previously shot Julian Calbert in 2010 | ||
| June 20, 2012[179] | Unknown APD and SWAT | Santiago Chavez | Chavez died of self-inflicted gunshot wound. | Officers responded to a call from neighbors alleging that Chavez was throwing rocks at cars. Chavez barricaded himself inside the house, and SWAT surrounded it. After a 12-hour standoff in which officers deployed teargas and shot at Chavez, SWAT entered the house to see Chavez dead by suicide.[180] | Chavez's family sued APD for excessive use of force in 2015.[180] | |
| February 5, 2015 | SWAT | Nicholas Leyba, Moon and Indian School | minor injuries, charged with kidnapping, criminal sexual penetration | |||
| April 7, 2015 | SWAT | Dustin Goodwin 1400 blk Pennsylvania | arrested |
|
||
| April 14, 2015 | SWAT | Marquette and Pennsylvania | hospitalized with dog bites | charged with domestic violence, burglary while fleeing[182] | ||
| April 22, 2015 | BCSO SWAT | Michael Quevedo, 800 block Dolly (off La Vega) | arrested | warrants, domestic violence, felon with firearm | SWAT because "info the detective had and his history"[183] | |
| May 10, 2015 | SWAT | 1800 block Hiawatha NE | arrested | 15-hour standoff, man hiding in television cabinet | domestic violence | |
| October 1, 2015 | monitor: officers kneed suspect in head, report does not match video | |||||
| November 10, 2015 | SWAT | Bell/Pennsylvania | arrested | search warrant, man refused to leave apartment | felony warrants | |
| December 22, 2015 | Andrew Quillman, Shawna Romero also present[186] | José Rodriguez,[187] Central/Utah | killed | attempted carjacking, could not drive shift[186][188] | ||
| May 24, 2016 | APD and US Marshalls | Mario Montoya Central/Western Skies | Montoya's wife arrested for harboring a fugitive[189] | Montoya supposed to be at a halfway house | ||
| June 19, 2016 | SWAT | Lomas/Juan Tabo | arrested | "man was not cooperating with officers' requests to come out of a vehicle"[190] | ||
| September 30, 2016 | Rodney Locke[191] | Kay Moss-Freese, woman in wheelchair | Moss-Freese killed | Locke quit APD February 2016 | Locke arrested | |
| October 22, 2016 | Michael David Pacheco, Walgreens Coors/Central[192] | arrested | shots fired at Walgreens miss, Pacheco flees; officer-caused accident at 64th/Churchill | |||
| July 22, 2026 | Mireya Molina Ortiz[193] | deceased | Police pursuit ended with officer crashing into unrelated civilian vehicle. Driver killed. | Pending |