APD: Man shot dead by police pointed gun at bus (NM, Graphic lapel cam footage)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | February 14, 2020 | Elise Kaplan

[CedarDave]

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Police say Orlando Abeyta pointed what looked like a gun at passengers on an Albuquerque Rapid Transit bus just a couple of hours before two members of the police department’s gang unit saw him threatening people sitting at another bus stop on Central near San Pedro last month.

The officers fired 10 times and struck 28-year-old Abeyta four times. He died at the scene. Next to him they found what turned out to be a BB gun.

In a news conference Friday morning, Lt. Scott Norris of the Albuquerque Police Department’s Violent Crimes Section, laid out the events that led up to the Jan. 6 shooting.

Norris said shortly before 3 p.m., detectives with the gang unit who were conducting an undercover operation in the area saw Abeyta waving what appeared to be a handgun in the intersection and approaching people on the south side of Central.

Detective Adrian Montoya and officer Bryce Willsey pulled up as Abeyta crossed Central toward a bus stop on the north side of the street and appeared to wave a handgun at a woman in “an aggressive manner.”

Video of the incident shows both Montoya and Willsey stopping their vehicles in the bus lane and getting out, ordering Abeyta to drop the gun and get on the ground. Norris said Abeyta instead pointed the gun at the officers and that’s when they opened fire about 80 feet from him.

[CedarDave]

Abeyta was a Navajo Indian and had been arrested twice previously for intoxication, including once for pretending to point a gun at an officer.

Warning: graphic footage. Video from Officer Adrian Montoya's lapel camera of the Jan. 6 police shooting of Orlando Abeyta, 28, near Central and San Pedro NE.

Officer 1 - Lapel footage of a Jan. 6 police shooting in Northeast Albuquerque

Officer 2 - Lapel footage of a Jan. 6 police shooting in Northeast Albuquerque

(The sound is not always in sync with the camera)

[Grampa Dave]

Suicide by cop?!?

[null and void]

10 shots 4 hits at 80 feet. Not bad with a handgun while expecting incoming fire, IMHO.

[moovova]

The little gray car in opposing traffic passed thru gunfire...or very, very close.

[null and void]

M-16’s not handguns.

[SpaceBar]

Lapel-cams should be cap-cams so you can actually see what the cop sees.

[CedarDave]

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[Bell Bouy II]

Womans yelping ,”he was just playing around”.

Well not in this day and age.

[yarddog]

I have several pellet pistols which are dead ringers for real guns. Really close, I can tell but at a distance they would fool anyone.

[faucetman]

“Womans yelping ,”he was just playing around”.

And inspector Clouseau said “Not anymore”

[Arlis]

Little regard for innocents near guy with gun......pretty reckless to me....and I’m generally supporting of LEO’s.....

[CedarDave]

I posted this on another thread a couple of days ago. Another shooting on Central...

Indeed ABQ can be a violent place, mainly along Central Avenue east of the University of NM (homeless people, petty thieves), in an area of SE ABQ known as the "International Zone" (formerly known as the War Zone"), and in areas of the South Valley southwest ABQ. You aren't likely to be attacked by gangs of 'utes like in the big cities of Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis, etc. but best not to be there after dark. Lots of the crime is drug related as stated in the article but other crime is domestic violence by people crazy on drugs, drunk or pissed off by an ex-girlfriend, etc.
Suspected drug dealer: ABQ is a ‘crazy place’

[RandallFlagg]

Bookmarking

[CedarDave]

Suicide by cop?!?

Because his previous run-ins with the police were for intoxication, he was likely very drunk, unfortunately, but the cops didn't know that. But same result, death by police.

[Mark]

Liz Warren will pollute the sky with evil smoke signals!

[CedarDave]

The article didn't say he was Navajo, but locals who live here know that he's from that portion of the Reservation just west of the city originally called Canoncito:

Abeyta’s mother told the Journal last month his brother was with him. She said Abeyta grew up in To’Hajiilee and Albuquerque, and frequently hung out in that area on East Central.

[PghBaldy]

“Ghost,” — Orlando takes over

https://youtu.be/BJudCYIE37E

[Deaf Smith]

Years ago I took away a 1911 BB gun from my elderly neighbor.

She was shooting squirrels in her front yard.

[bigbob]

Report said they didn’t interview the people in the bus stop because they all were intoxicated.

People driving down that street seeing cops with rifles aimed must have had a real “Oh s#it!” moment there.

[yarddog]

I imagine you meant to say “she was shooting at squirrels”.