Police in New Mexico released footage of officers shooting a man after he responded to the wrong address for a domestic violence call (Image: Shutterstock / Representative)
The victim, Robert Dotson, died at the scene after shooting officers, while his wife shot herself moments later.
Police in the US state of New Mexico released footage Friday showing officers shooting a man after he answered at the wrong address.
The Farmington Police Department released body camera video and 911 audio of the incident on April 5, in which three officers knocked on the wrong house.
They were responding to a call about domestic violence from 5308 Valley View Avenue, but footage shows officers arrived at the home marked “5305”.
🧵⚠️ (Police Shooting) Farmington Police have released bodycam footage from the night they broke into the wrong house. Mr. Dotson was asleep when they began knocking, failing to announce themselves when they were close enough to hear. Before Robert comes… pic.twitter.com/DpAHNAcq4d
– 🥀_Imposter_🥀 (@Imposter_Edits) April 15, 2023
Chief Steve Hebbe ordered the release under state law “and out of a desire to be forthcoming and transparent” with the Farmington community, the general public and the news media, the department said in a statement.
The footage shows the officers knocking on the door several times and identifying themselves.
The officers then request address confirmation from Dispatch and discuss whether they are at the wrong home.
Moments later, a man opens the door and reveals a firearm before officers pull over and immediately fire their weapons.
Police said the victim, Robert Dotson, died at the scene.
A woman later identified as Dotson’s wife appears at the door about a minute later and more shots are fired. Police said he pointed a gun at the officers.
The department said the names of the three officers involved, which were edited from the footage and audio, could not be released due to the ongoing investigation.
Police said it was unclear why the officers, who were on paid leave during the period of the investigation, contacted the wrong address.
In one of the released 911 audio files, Dotson’s daughter can be heard crying saying that her mother was screaming and that her father had been shot.
“All of us – the men and women of the Farmington Police Department – recognize the seriousness of this incident,” Hebbe said.
“Once again, we want to express our condolences to the Dotson family and as your Chief of Police, I want to convey how sorry I am that this tragedy occurred.”
According to the Pew Research Center, about 40 percent of American households own guns.
According to the Gun Violence Archive database, last year there were an estimated 44,000 gun-related deaths in the United States, about half of them homicides, accidents and self-defense, and half of them suicides.
This suggests that 14 people have been shot and killed in New Mexico this year in what the Archive calls “officer-involved incidents.”
According to the Archive, more than 5,000 people are expected to die in firearms-related violence in the United States in 2023.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)
