Keith Olbermann
2014-04-19 06:03:15 UTC
New Mexico State Police have been told by Gov. Susana Martinez's
office to turn over recordings of a fatal shooting of a homeless
camper by Albuquerque police directly to the FBI.
It is unusual for the State Police, which participates in a
review team for Albuquerque police shootings, to bypass an
Albuquerque police investigation and turn over evidence directly
to the federal agency.
The FBI has opened an investigation into the March 16 shooting
of 38-year-old James Boyd in the Albuquerque foothills as
officials have said he appeared to be surrendering. It marks the
first confirmed criminal investigation of Albuquerque police by
federal officials, who more than a year ago launched a civil
rights probe of the department over allegations of excessive
force and a spike in police shootings. Since 2010, police have
been involved in 37 shootings, 23 of them fatal.
The Albuquerque Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1pCXk5g) that
Martinez's directive to turn over the tapes to the FBI was made
Thursday.
"Gov. Martinez has directed the state police to provide federal
law enforcement with any and all information they believe to be
relevant to the investigation," Martinez spokesman Enrique Knell
told the newspaper in a statement.
Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden said he hadn't seen the
State Police recordings and didn't know what they showed. He
also said he hadn't reviewed any of the police department's
video from the Boyd shooting, except for what was released to
the media a week ago.
Albuquerque police fatally shot Boyd in the Sandia foothills
following an hours-long standoff and after he threatened to kill
officers with a small knife, authorities said. He died after
officers fired stun guns, bean bags and six live rounds,
authorities said.
But a helmet-camera video showed Boyd, who claimed to be a
federal agent, agreeing to walk down the mountain with them,
gathering his things and taking a step toward officers just
before they fired.
Eden said that the FBI investigation is welcome, and he said he
had decided with Mayor Richard Berry to ask federal authorities
to investigate.
"I think it's going to give us that extra set of eyes that we
were looking for," Eden said.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/mexico-police-shootings-
criminal-review-23103050
office to turn over recordings of a fatal shooting of a homeless
camper by Albuquerque police directly to the FBI.
It is unusual for the State Police, which participates in a
review team for Albuquerque police shootings, to bypass an
Albuquerque police investigation and turn over evidence directly
to the federal agency.
The FBI has opened an investigation into the March 16 shooting
of 38-year-old James Boyd in the Albuquerque foothills as
officials have said he appeared to be surrendering. It marks the
first confirmed criminal investigation of Albuquerque police by
federal officials, who more than a year ago launched a civil
rights probe of the department over allegations of excessive
force and a spike in police shootings. Since 2010, police have
been involved in 37 shootings, 23 of them fatal.
The Albuquerque Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1pCXk5g) that
Martinez's directive to turn over the tapes to the FBI was made
Thursday.
"Gov. Martinez has directed the state police to provide federal
law enforcement with any and all information they believe to be
relevant to the investigation," Martinez spokesman Enrique Knell
told the newspaper in a statement.
Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden said he hadn't seen the
State Police recordings and didn't know what they showed. He
also said he hadn't reviewed any of the police department's
video from the Boyd shooting, except for what was released to
the media a week ago.
Albuquerque police fatally shot Boyd in the Sandia foothills
following an hours-long standoff and after he threatened to kill
officers with a small knife, authorities said. He died after
officers fired stun guns, bean bags and six live rounds,
authorities said.
But a helmet-camera video showed Boyd, who claimed to be a
federal agent, agreeing to walk down the mountain with them,
gathering his things and taking a step toward officers just
before they fired.
Eden said that the FBI investigation is welcome, and he said he
had decided with Mayor Richard Berry to ask federal authorities
to investigate.
"I think it's going to give us that extra set of eyes that we
were looking for," Eden said.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/mexico-police-shootings-
criminal-review-23103050