Albuquerque Cops Face Murder Charges in Death of Homeless Camper for 36 year old James Boyd, who was complying with police before being charged at with a flash grenade, assault rifle, police dog, and ultimately six rounds of shots.
Albuquerque Cops Face Murder Charges in Death of Homeless Camper in what Police Chief Gorden Eden is explaining as a knee jerk reaction to the knife wielding sudden movements of James Boyd, who was illegally camping in the Sandia Mountains before he was killed in March. James, who also has schizophrenia, was approached by police and ordered to come down off the mountain when the stand-off began. The situation was documented via a body camera of the police themselves.
Reports have concluded the department engaged in a “significant amount of deadly force” that presents an “ongoing risk to the public.” The legal procedures following the news of the situation are echoing points from the #BlackLivesMatter movement, especially the argument of above the law, federally funded, hyper-militarized cops.
“The Albuquerque Police Department has been involved in more than 40 shootings since 2010, resulting in 27 deaths, according to the Albuquerque Journal. This is the first of the shootings that produced a charge against a police officer.”
For the record James Boyd was white, but Albuquerque Cops Face Murder Charges in Death of Homeless Camper is painting a larger picture for the relationship between police and civilians. The two officers in question include a detective Keith Sandy and a SWAT team member Dominique Perez, who say they fired only after James came at them with small knives. (Let that marinate on your mind for a second…)
As far as the criminal case for Albuquerque Cops Face Murder Charges in Death of Homeless Camper, Bernalillo County District Attorney Kari Brandenburg has issued an “open count” of murder for the two officers–meaning no grand jury gets involved and it’s up to the judge to issue a first or second degree murder charge or* even aggravated assault. Sources say this was done purposely to avoid the controversy from the Mike Brown, Eric Garner and #BlackLivesMatter politics.
“Unlike Ferguson and unlike in New York City, we’re going to know. The public is going to have that information,” she said at a news conference.
RIP, #AllLivesMatter
