Hundreds march in Albuquerque to protest shooting of homeless man

Police department's role in shooting death deemed "justified" sparks online protest.

Storified by AJAMStream· Wed, Mar 26 2014 14:41:57

Nearly 1,000 protesting the #JamesBoyd shooting by #APD - most violent police force in the country. @ACLUNM #enough http://t.co/Oz7O2unsCWEquality New Mexico

Aerial view of protesters marching in front of Civic Plaza. Hundreds+ demonstrating @ABQPOLICE #APDProtest #JamesBoyd http://t.co/aA6jmtWQ5iAnonymous

Saddened to see such a low value placed on life in my home of NM. This must stop! Prosecutions should be brought to #APD. RIP #JamesBoydChristopher M White

I am the face of #JamesBoyd Justice for all who have been murdered by the police.NM Cop Block

We all need to rise up against unchecked police brutality. Any one of us could be the next #JamesBoyd or #KellyThomas. #acabJonny Potz

warning: graphic footage] the final moments of a three-hour standoff between James Boyd, who was camped in an unauthorized area of the city's foothills, and Albuquerque police, who tried to remove him.

After Boyd appeared to surrender by picking up his belongings, an officer fired a shot from a stun grenade , prompting Boyd to draw his knife. The officers then fired several shots. Boyd later died from his injuries. A helmet camera captured the final moments of a three-hour standoff between James Boyd, who was camped in an unauthorized area of the city's foothills, and Albuquerque police, who tried to remove him.

thenation.com





Since 2010, the department has shot 36 people, killing 23. Many residents spoke out against what they say was excessive force by police. The APD has been the subject of a f ederal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice since 2012 for enforcement tactics that have resulted in more than $24 million in misconduct lawsuits shelled out to victims and their families.

abqjournal.com



“Do I believe it was a justified shooting? Yes, if you follow case law, ‘Garner versus Tennessee,’ there was a directed threat to an officer,” he said.

Public outcry over the shooting of James Boyd grew after police chief Gordon Eden implied during a press conference that the shooting was justified.

One person shared resources on how to hold the city and APD accountable:

Now you can tell the Mayor of Albuquerque how you feel about his officers murdering a homeless man: http://t.co/oGJ6whDFkE #jamesboydOctober Surprise

Another called on residents to withhold judgment until all of the facts are known.

There are some pretty dangerous and violent criminals out there. Objective people-who have no political agenda-should be able to review what happenend. Both sides need to be allowed to speak.america.aljazeera.com

Albuquerque City Council President Ken Sanchez has joined the call for an internal review and is requesting that James Boyd’s case be included in the Department of Justice’s investigation.

I may also ask the council that we look at allowing the Department of Justice to come in and oversee the Albuquerque Police Department,” said Sanchez.krqe.com

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