LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KTSM) — Body camera footage that was released Tuesday, Oct. 17 shows the moments a Las Cruces Police officer fired his weapon on Oct. 3 on Burley Court, killing 45-year-old Teresa Gomez.
“The tragedy of her unnecessary violent death at the hands of a poorly trained police officer will cause suffering to her loved ones for the remainder of their lives,” said a portion of a statement sent to KTSM from Gomez’s family.
The body cam footage was provided and shown during a news conference called by the Las Cruces Police Department on Tuesday, Oct. 17.
Gomez’s family is now calling for better training in the Las Cruces Police Department.
“Teresa’s family urges the City of Las Cruces to immediately change the culture of indifference to life with improved screening of officers, improved training and supervision that places the preservation of life at the pinnacle of concern,” said a portion of the statement from Gomez’s family.
The body camera footage shows the Las Cruces Police officer, who was on bicycle patrol, approach a vehicle parked in a neighborhood on Burley Court just before 5 a.m. on Oct. 3.
The officer shines his light on the car where there are two people inside. He begins speaking with them, asking them what they are doing. Gomez, who is the driver, says she is looking for her keys.
The officer asked the passenger what was on his waist and the passenger pulls out a paintball gun, telling the officer it’s a paintball gun.
Gomez is then asked by the officer to get out of the vehicle and she replies, “I don’t need to step out.”
The officer then says, “Step out now or I’m going to pull you out.” The officer continues to tell her to get out and she says, “Don’t touch me”.
Gomez eventually steps out of the car, and the officer then realizes that he knows who the passenger is. He calls him by his name of Jesus Garcia, saying he is going to put a warrant out for his arrest, telling Garcia he can’t be on the property. However, the officer does not ask Garcia to get out of the car.
The officer begins questioning Gomez, asking her for her full name which she is reluctant to give.
“You have to provide me with your name and date of birth. That is the law. If there’s probable cause for a crime being happening, he’s already trespassed that is my probable cause,” said the officer referring to Garcia who was still inside the car.
The officer then proceeds to tell Gomez to not be difficult.
“I know this area. I know cars that are supposed to (expletive) be here and cars that aren’t supposed to be here so let’s not make this (expletive) difficult because I will make your life a living hell,” said the officer to Gomez as she stood outside of the car.
The officer then tells Gomez he will tow her car and she asks him not to. The officer proceeds to tell her that it is public housing and that the people who live there can’t have visitors after certain hours and tells her she is trespassing.
During the conversation, Gomez tells the officer she found her keys and pulls them out of her pocket, showing them to the officer.
The officer proceeds to tell her she is not allowed to be there.
“You’re not allowed to be here past certain hours,” says the officer.
“I did not know that,” said Gomez.
“Listen to me OK. Can you just shut the (expletive) up for 10 (expletive) seconds,” said the officer.
“Why are you talking to me like that,” Gomez says.
“Because you don’t listen. You just like Jesus Garcia. You just want to argue all the time,” says the officer.
He asked her again for her name, saying: “Again what is your (expletive) name to which she replied, “Can you be nice?”
She gives him her name and other information and the officer then tells Jesus Garcia who is still in the passenger seat that he is going to put a warrant out for his arrest for him being on the property.
Gomez is then asked to sit in the car, which she agrees to.
Gomez then starts the car and begins to back up, and car’s driver side door opens up and appears to hit the officer. As the car is backing up, the officer asks her to stop and then fires his gun multiple times.
You can here Gomez scream and the car comes to a stop.
The Las Cruces Police Department Interim Police Chief Jeremy Story was asked during a press conference on Tuesday about protocol for an officer firing at someone who is fleeing.
“Protocol is a deceptive term because unfortunately the world we live in is very complex. And when you change one factor that can change the decision and the reason. Generally speaking, officers use deadly force to prevent someone who’s fleeing. When that person poses a significant threat of death or serious bodily harm to the officers or others, that’s ongoing,” Story said.
The Las Cruces Police Department would not identify the officer by name, as they say he is still yet to be interviewed. However, Story did say he had been an officer for eight years and has been placed on administrative leave.
LCPD also confirmed that no weapons were found in the vehicle but that the shooting is still under investigation.
The investigation is being conducted by the Officer-involved Incident Task Force. The task force includes investigators from New Mexico State Police, the Las Cruces Police Department, Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State University Police.
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