ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) has released details on seven shootings that happened during the latter half of 2023. They say two of the seven suspects shot at police.
“We noted trends that need to be addressed, including the high number of foot pursuits that resulted in shootings,” Chief Harold Medina said in a press release. “We started work on a new policy that considers the potential threat caused by the fleeing suspect, whether the suspect has been identified by law enforcement, and any potential threats presented by engaging in a foot pursuit. Those factors must be balanced with APD’s mandate to enforce the law.”
The department was involved in seven officer-involved shootings in the second half of 2023 – two of which began as minor offenses, APD says. Three were connected to violent offenses, and none began as behavioral health calls, APD says.
All seven of the incidents involved a suspect armed with a gun, but only two of the seven fired at officers at the time, APD says. Officers were struck in both cases.
APD reviewed the incidents with the help of an external contractor and a legal advisor. The review shows that one of the seven cases was out of policy. The full report can be found at this link.
APD has been regularly conducting six-month reviews of officer involved shootings with the goal of finding patterns the department could improve upon.
