Farmington New Mexico Police Shooting, Officers’ Attorney Says Farmington Police killing Was Justifiable
Farmington New Mexico Police Shooting, A statement supporting the actions of the Farmington Police Department officers involved in a shooting that killed a man earlier this month has been released. The family of Robert Dotson addressed the media on Thursday.
criticizing the police for what they see as an unjustifiable shooting. The family is requesting that Farmington Police Department Chief Steve Hebbe resign, that the officers be charged with second-degree murder, and that the city council look into the overwhelming amount of complaints made against the unit. Officers Waylon Wasson, Daniel Estrada, and Dylan Goodluck’s lawyer, Luis Robles, defended their actions in a statement issued through the officers’ legal team on Friday.
Robles says the police “walked up to a house” “that they believe to be” the correct address they were called to, even though he partially admits they attended to the incorrect address. According to Robles, “the porch light was on” and “anyone inside the home could have used the doorbell camera to find out that there were police officers outside.”Robles added that when no one answered the door, the officers’ level of anxiety increased in the two-page statement. Robles claims that while the cops were calling dispatch to confirm the address, they “heard the distinctive sound of someone inside the house rack a firearm.”
When Dotson allegedly aimed a gun at one of the cops, according to Robles, that is when the officers withdrew. According to Robles, the police had no choice but to fire at Dotson, who later passed away from his wounds. He further asserts that the police “had no choice but to return fire” when Dotson’s wife shot at one of them.
Overall, Robles said he thinks the shooting was justified because the people being shot did not pose a threat to the officers. The Dotson family’s attorney claimed during the news conference on Thursday that they were unaware of the presence of the police outside. “He’s blinded by the lights, and what you don’t hear is law enforcement, police, drop your weapon, there’s nothing,” the attorney Shon Northam claimed.