Tweet
What began as a peaceful protest on a sunny day in Albuquerque turned more and more unruly Sunday, as hundreds of people marched back and forth on Central Avenue until police threw more than two dozen canisters of tear gas and arrested at least half a dozen protesters.
Marchers took over much of Downtown and the university area during a daylong demonstration, where they called for accountability for Albuquerque police and justice for James M. Boyd, a homeless, mentally ill man who was shot and killed by officers March 16 in the Sandia foothills. Protesters also decried past APD officer-involved shootings.
The rally began at noon. After 9 p.m., police used around a dozen canisters of tear gas to disperse protesters near Central and Vassar, several people were seen being arrested, and Mayor Richard Berry said in a late-night news conference that an officer was injured.
“We respected their rights to protest, obviously,†Berry said, “but … they’ve taken it far beyond a normal protest.â€
The march along Central boiled over at several points, with protesters ignoring police commands to disperse and having a standoff with officers in riot gear. The demonstration came after an online “hacktivist†group, known as Anonymous, issued a call to action in response to seeing video of Boyd’s shooting. The group also waged a cyberattack against the APD website, which was inaccessible throughout the day Sunday, and what appeared to be a number of officers’ personal phone numbers were released by a purported hacker.
At one of the most tense moments, demonstrators sat down on Fifth Street near APD headquarters, not complying with officers’ demands to disperse. Police were heard calling the protest an “unlawful assembly†and donned gas masks, riot shields and batons.
[....]
The protest started at the Alvarado Transport Center and went to APD headquarters at Fourth and Roma before heading to Civic Plaza. There, on the steps at the north end of the plaza, members of various activist groups and family members of those shot by police called for accountability.
“Hey hey! Ho ho! Killer cops have got to go!†the protesters could be heard chanting on a livestream video by protester Thomas Dixon. It was watched by nearly 1,500 people at any given time.
Protesters said they were outraged by the shooting death of Boyd and others in recent years, and one credited Anonymous as inspiring her activism.
“I definitely was encouraged by Anonymous to come out,†said Jennifer Girod, who held a sign saying “APD: Not judge, jury and executioner†on Sunday. “We’re saying something, these killings need to stop.â€
Family members lined pictures of those shot and killed by the department on its steps.
The Albuquerque Journal has rather meticulously documented all police shootings since January of 2010. What their documentation shows is that this is all a bunch of whining over cops doing what cops have to do.
Some of the highlights:
Hinz eventually came to the front door but refused to come out. He later exited the garage armed with the rifle and began approaching officers, according to police.
Two tactical team officers, Anthony Brown and Eric Sedler, shot at Hinz, who died on scene.
During Hinz’s funeral, his friends and family members expressed concern over APD’s use of force. They emailed city officials, including former police chief Ray Schultz, asking why officers didn’t try to first shoot the gun out of Hinz’s hands.
[....]
When Fuentes reached for a knife he had in his waistband, a struggle ensued between Fuentes and officers. Fuentes slipped out of the grasp of the officers and backed away, raising the knife in his right hand, according to police.
Officers said that when they raised their weapons and commanded Fuentes to drop the knife, he responded, “Shoot me (expletives)!â€
Fuentes lunged toward the officers and Hollier fired two shots, hitting Fuentes in the chest and in the stomach, according to the affidavit.
Fuentes died at University of New Mexico Hospital.
Fuentes’ mother has been highly critical of APD’s fatal shooting of her son, who she said suffered from schizophrenia.
[....]
Although it was documented in public court and police records, Brown said he did not know that Torres had a history of schizophrenia when he and Hilger set off in undercover clothing to arrest and question Torres at his parent’s home. Had they known, they said, backup units would have likely been sent to help the officers deal with Torres.
When detectives arrived at the Torres home, Hilger said he saw Torres standing in his backyard and asked him to come out and speak with officers. Brown said Torres replied, “This is my backyard and you will have to fight with me.â€
Both officers hurdled a fence and a violent encounter quickly followed, with Brown straddling Torres, who was face down in the backyard, and both officers trying to wrestle him into handcuffs.
During the scuffle, Torres managed to grab Hilger’s pistol, accordint to the officers. Brown said he drew his service pistol and fired three shots just inches from Torres’ back. Torres continued to struggle until after the third shot was fired, he said.
[....]
Smith approached Tillison when he arrived at the apartment complex at 8200 Marquette NE, but Tillison jumped in his car and smashed into another vehicle before crashing into Smith’s cruiser.
Smith responded by firing two shots at Tillison, who was not armed.
Tillison was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police at the time said the black SUV Tillison was driving was his weapon. Tillison’s family said his nickname was “Oreo,†and according to court records, he had a criminal history.
Tillison was scheduled to go to trial in state District Court the month after the shooting on charges of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, possession of heroin and possession of paraphernalia, court records show.
Police said Smith thought Tillison was pointing a gun at him, but it later turned out to be a cell phone.
[....]
Carroll’s brother, Michael Carroll, surrendered to police before State Police sniper Shane Todd ultimately fired the lethal shot, killing 21-year-old Kendall Carroll, who had run-ins with the law since he was 11 years old.
Police initially went to the apartment at 13000 Constitution to look for someone who had shot at an APD officer a few days earlier.
Police later said one of the guns found in the apartment matched the bullet that ricocheted and wounded APD officer Ignas Danius three days earlier, leading them to believe Kendall Carroll intentionally fired at police during that incident as well.
The brothers’ mother was upset at police, saying “Why did you kill my baby?†and other family members have been critical as well.
[....]
Police officers were called to the scene after receiving a 911 call from a sobbing girl who said, “There’s a guy and he’s drunk and he has a gun. He pointed the gun at me.â€
The man, later identified as Alfred Redwine, was shot by police after they said he fired at least one round when he came out of his apartment and an officer returned fire.
Neighbors who saw the shooting say they saw Redwine holding a gun to his head, but never pointing it or shooting at officers. They said officers shot him without giving him a chance to surrender.
According to KKOB, one witness said after Redwine held the gun to his head, he then pointed it at the ground and fired, and that’s when he was shot.
Two tactical team officers, Anthony Brown and Eric Sedler, shot at Hinz, who died on scene.
During Hinz’s funeral, his friends and family members expressed concern over APD’s use of force. They emailed city officials, including former police chief Ray Schultz, asking why officers didn’t try to first shoot the gun out of Hinz’s hands.
[....]
When Fuentes reached for a knife he had in his waistband, a struggle ensued between Fuentes and officers. Fuentes slipped out of the grasp of the officers and backed away, raising the knife in his right hand, according to police.
Officers said that when they raised their weapons and commanded Fuentes to drop the knife, he responded, “Shoot me (expletives)!â€
Fuentes lunged toward the officers and Hollier fired two shots, hitting Fuentes in the chest and in the stomach, according to the affidavit.
Fuentes died at University of New Mexico Hospital.
Fuentes’ mother has been highly critical of APD’s fatal shooting of her son, who she said suffered from schizophrenia.
[....]
Although it was documented in public court and police records, Brown said he did not know that Torres had a history of schizophrenia when he and Hilger set off in undercover clothing to arrest and question Torres at his parent’s home. Had they known, they said, backup units would have likely been sent to help the officers deal with Torres.
When detectives arrived at the Torres home, Hilger said he saw Torres standing in his backyard and asked him to come out and speak with officers. Brown said Torres replied, “This is my backyard and you will have to fight with me.â€
Both officers hurdled a fence and a violent encounter quickly followed, with Brown straddling Torres, who was face down in the backyard, and both officers trying to wrestle him into handcuffs.
During the scuffle, Torres managed to grab Hilger’s pistol, accordint to the officers. Brown said he drew his service pistol and fired three shots just inches from Torres’ back. Torres continued to struggle until after the third shot was fired, he said.
[....]
Smith approached Tillison when he arrived at the apartment complex at 8200 Marquette NE, but Tillison jumped in his car and smashed into another vehicle before crashing into Smith’s cruiser.
Smith responded by firing two shots at Tillison, who was not armed.
Tillison was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police at the time said the black SUV Tillison was driving was his weapon. Tillison’s family said his nickname was “Oreo,†and according to court records, he had a criminal history.
Tillison was scheduled to go to trial in state District Court the month after the shooting on charges of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, possession of heroin and possession of paraphernalia, court records show.
Police said Smith thought Tillison was pointing a gun at him, but it later turned out to be a cell phone.
[....]
Carroll’s brother, Michael Carroll, surrendered to police before State Police sniper Shane Todd ultimately fired the lethal shot, killing 21-year-old Kendall Carroll, who had run-ins with the law since he was 11 years old.
Police initially went to the apartment at 13000 Constitution to look for someone who had shot at an APD officer a few days earlier.
Police later said one of the guns found in the apartment matched the bullet that ricocheted and wounded APD officer Ignas Danius three days earlier, leading them to believe Kendall Carroll intentionally fired at police during that incident as well.
The brothers’ mother was upset at police, saying “Why did you kill my baby?†and other family members have been critical as well.
[....]
Police officers were called to the scene after receiving a 911 call from a sobbing girl who said, “There’s a guy and he’s drunk and he has a gun. He pointed the gun at me.â€
The man, later identified as Alfred Redwine, was shot by police after they said he fired at least one round when he came out of his apartment and an officer returned fire.
Neighbors who saw the shooting say they saw Redwine holding a gun to his head, but never pointing it or shooting at officers. They said officers shot him without giving him a chance to surrender.
According to KKOB, one witness said after Redwine held the gun to his head, he then pointed it at the ground and fired, and that’s when he was shot.
In short: Albuquerque, and Anonymous, quit yer fuckin' whining!
Comment