New Mexico officers plead not guilty to murder in shooting

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

New Mexico officers plead not guilty to murder in shooting
Mary Hudetz, Associated Press
Updated 2:39 pm, Friday, September 11, 2015


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Photo: Russell Contreras, AP

FILE - In this Aug. 18, 2015 file photo, former Albuquerque Police detective Keith Sandy, left, and Officer Dominique Perez speak with attorneys during a preliminary hearing in Albuquerque, N.M., on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015. They are expected to be arraigned Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 on second-degree murder charges in the on-duty shooting death of a homeless man who authorities say suffered from mental illness.
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An Albuquerque police officer and retired detective who killed a homeless man last year pleaded not guilty Friday to second-degree murder charges stemming from the on-duty shooting death that led to protests and police reforms in New Mexico's largest city.

Officer Dominique Perez and now-retired Detective Keith Sandy appeared at the arraignment hearing in Second District Court. Neither has spent any time in custody.

On Friday, Judge Judith Nakamura ordered the men to be booked at an Albuquerque detention center by next week, but not held. Prosecutors did not object.

"No one should take away that they received any special treatment," Perez's attorney Luis Robles said, noting the judge's decision followed proper legal standards, given neither officer had a prior criminal record. "The state has to show the defendant is a danger to our community or a flight risk."

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/2-officers-to-be-arraigned-on-murder-charges-in-6497747.php

[duhneece]

1. This is important for revealing a national move toward justice, accountability...

This is important. We need more training for all law enforcement on how to deal with folks with varying degrees of mental illness, behavioral health crises, etc. They are often/usually the first point of contact...

[left-of-center2012]

2. I watched the preliminary hearing a few weeks ago

The Police Chief Gorden Eden said (while testifying on the stand) he couldn't answer questions regarding the video of the shooting because he only looked at the video one time shortly after the shooting and couldn't remember what he saw.
And he couldn't answer any questions about his police department's investigation of the shooting because he never read their report.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Police Chief Gorden Eden is incapable of doing his job correctly if he supports murder,

and will perjure himself to protect murder.

Disgusting.

[left-of-center2012]

4. Just thinking

You might add this to the New Mexico forum for (perhaps) a wider audience?