Albuquerque Police Officers Charged With Murder of a Homeless Man
Prosecutors on Monday pledged to bring murder charges against two Albuquerque police officers in the fatal shooting of a homeless camper whose death last March spurred rounds of protests and civilian clashes with police over allegations of excessive use of force.
Bernalillo County District Attorney Kari Brandenburg said Monday she would bring criminal charges against SWAT team member Dominique Perez and former Detective Keith Sandy for their roles in the shooting death of James Boyd, a 38-year-old homeless man with a history of mental illness who was camping in the city’s Sandia Foothills last March.
Video footage captured by an officer’s helmet camera provides a visual to how the hours-long standoff between Boyd, who was holding a knife, and Albuquerque police came to a final end. In the video, Boyd appears to be surrendering to police and turning his back when the officers open fire. Authorities later confirmed that officers squeezed off six rounds while Boyd was lying on the ground. Officers on the scene then let a police dog loose.
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