ALBUQUERQUE – Deputies in New Mexico fatally shot a man who had opened fire in a neighborhood on Albuquerque’s northeast side, authorities said Tuesday.
Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales said multiple deputies responded after getting a call about an armed man who was walking around and pointing a gun in a residential area. Deputies arrived to see the man fire his weapon in a southeast direction.
They used a public announcement system to order the man to drop the firearm. Within minutes, authorities said the man laid down in a grassy area and fired multiple shots at deputies. Two deputies returned fire, striking the man while he tried to shoot again.
Authorities say the shooting is under investigation, and it wasn’t immediately known how many shots were fired by the man or by deputies. The man’s name has not been released, and the deputies have been placed on standard administrative leave pending interviews.
The shooting sparked an immediate protest where about 30 demonstrators carried signs that read “no justice no peace” and “Black Lives Matter.”
“We don’t know the person who you all shot, but he’s a citizen just like us,” said organizer Arthur Bell.
The protest ended after demonstrators held a moment of silence.
“Law enforcement officers must make split-second decisions to protect the lives of citizens and their own lives when faced with deadly force,” the sheriff said. “While it is extremely unfortunate that a life was lost in this incident, it is completely unacceptable to recklessly discharge a firearm into a residential neighborhood placing the citizens and deputies’ life’s in immediate danger.”
