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In Albuquerque, New Mexico, two police officers will be charged with murder. Last year, Keith Sandy and Dominique Perez shot and killed a mentally ill homeless man settled at an illegal campsite.
The two were faced with charges of homicide after a New Mexico prosecutor, neglecting the decisions of the grand jury, decided to go ahead with the convictions.
James Boyd, 38, was camping on 16th of March last year in the foothills above the city, in a restricted zone, because the homeless shelters were closed.
The police officers’ lawyers declared the pair will be cleared of the accusations.
Federal investigations into the cases of the Albuquerque police department were taking place, when violent protesters took the street as a response to the increasing police brutality. The investigation that lasted almost a year has revealed that the city police had resumed to unjustified practices, and had even unethically killed suspects as well as used extreme force over those with mental disabilities.
The protests in Albuquerque sparked before the large amount of protests seen in recent times. The last half a year has brought nationwide protests against police violence after the shooting of several unarmed black men, women and children, all over the United States.
From 2010 until today, the Albuquerque police department had more than three dozen shootings that involved police officers. Although the justice department had requested that the city police reduce its deadly force against its citizens, but a month later, in April, a woman, suspect of stealing a vehicle was shot and killed by the police.
After a standoff with the police, Boyd was shot at the foothills of the Sandia Mountains situated on the eastern side of the city. A video of the incident was uploaded on the internet and it sparked outrage in people, who then took their anger to the streets. The video was filmed by the police and was made available for anyone to watch after a public information request.
The two police officers’ lawyers are confident that their clients were not doing anything wrong. Mr. Sandy’s representative said that he was simply following procedures, and in doing so, he saved the life of his fellow police officer. Luis Robles, Mr. Perez’s lawyer, is also convinced that his client’s actions will be vindicated.
Recently, city officials have agreed to provide better training for officers and to disassemble wrongdoing police units.
Image Source: The Daily Sheeple
