Posted on 04/10/2023 5:55:21 AM PDT by Red Badger
Farmington police chief: Officers shoot, kill wrong man
The home at 5305 Valley View Ave., where Robert Dotson, 52, was shot and killed. (Debra Mayeux/The Journal)
The day after Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe announced in a video statement that officers shot and killed Robert Dotson, members of his tight-knit neighborhood remembered him as the rope that tied everyone together.
Neighbors were shocked and saddened by an April 5 police-involved shooting that left Dotson dead. He was 52.
Shortly before midnight Wednesday, police officers responded to the wrong house during an investigation of a reported domestic abuse. They were called to 5308 Valley View Ave., but ended up at 5305 Valley View Ave., where Dotson lived with his family.
When Dotson answered the door with a firearm in hand, “officers fired at least one round from their duty weapon(s), striking Mr. Dotson,” according to a New Mexico State Police investigation. Dotson died at the scene.
The Dotsons moved into their home at 5305 Valley View about five years ago and quickly became friends with everyone on the block, according to several neighbors.
“They were awesome, amazing people,” neighbor and friend Krystal Rahm said about the family. “Everyone on the street is close knit. All of our kids know each other. They play sports together.”
Rahm characterized Robert as “super-helpful.”
The home at 5308 Valley View Ave., the correct location of the domestic violence call on April 5 that led to officers mistakenly approaching the home of Robert Dotson, at 5305 Valley View Ave.
Will Richardson, who lives across the street from Dotson, agreed, saying whenever he was out working in his yard, Robert would come over and ask if he could help. “He was a great guy,” Richardson said. “I can’t say enough good things about Kim (Dotson’s wife) and Robert. They were always watching out for everyone.”
Dotson even saved Richardson’s dog. The animal become trapped in an inflatable pool and was unable to escape. Dotson went to the home and managed to rescue the animal before it drowned.
“He was absolutely a great guy,” Richardson said.
On Wednesday, Hebbe said in a video statement on social media that officers made attempts to identify themselves as police officers while trying to make contact Dotson before he was shot.
“Mr. Dotson was not the subject of the call that our officers were responding to, and this ending is just unbelievably tragic. I’m extremely sorry that we are in this position,” Hebbe said.
Police said Dotson’s wife then fired a handgun from the door. Officers returned fire, and she put the gun down and complied with officers’ commands.”
Shanice Gonzales, spokesperson for FPD, said the original domestic violence call was investigated and “everybody is OK.”
Rahm described the scene that shook the neighborhood Wednesday night.
“There were lights everywhere,” she said.
When she left for work Thursday morning, there were “a lot” of police vehicles, both from FPD and New Mexico State Police, that were blocking off the street and nearby roads.
New Mexico State Police and Farmington Police were on scene all day Thursday, and New Mexico State Police was leading the investigation.
The names of the officers involved in the shooting have not been released. Police plan to release body camera video of the incident after officer statements are collected.
When you are incapable of reading an address properly and go to the wrong house and execute an innocent man for answering his door, you belong in PRISON FOR LIFE
Head to the Courthouse and file criminal charges on your own. Yes, you can do that. No need to wait for some BS “investigation” where the cops investigate the cops and the declare they did nothing wrong.
Swear out Manslaughter complaints and demand warrants be served.
L
Farmington, New Mexico.
Exactly right!
“The rope that tied everybody together”. Sounds like little Debbie could use a few more years of journalism school. Crappy metaphor. Jussie Mullett would be shakin’ in his boots just reading that sentence.
It’s been a week. Have they shot the right guy?
We gave up on ‘answering the door’ to strangers - nothing good comes from it. If they say they’re cops, then it’s a tougher call, but if you do open the door, you better not have a gun in your hand. Best option is to have a camera that can see who’s out there and one that can see the street, to look for their car. And yes, I realize that not everyone who’s honest goes that far, heck I don’t even go that far, and I’m a Russian troll (hard to get more dishonest than that).
As to the cops screwing up - cops are human, it’s going to happen. Punishing them is fine, but it won’t do this guy any good.
I haven’t seen any explanation as to why he answered the door with a gun in his hand. Anyone?
Shanice Gonzales, spokesperson for FPD, said that the original domestic violence call was investigated and “everybody is OK.”
Well I hope they’re happy.
Because he has a right to do so! Why even ask that question?
I often answer my door, especially if it is at night, with GUN-IN-HAND.
I believe I read the police showed up around 1 or 2 AM, but this article doesn't mention when they knocked on the door.
Around midnight, which is gun in hand to answer door sop in many homes.
whats amazing is that poor guy in Texas was convicted for shooting a BLM protester who was aiming an ak47 at his face!
And yet police kill people all the time who simply are holding a gun.
I don’t accept the “wrong house” excuse. The cop who shot the man killed him. The killing was unjustified. It’s not involuntary.
An apology is not what’s needed.
Actually the second reticle says first call was around 11:30 but another one at 2:51 am which I am guess was the one where the shooting happened since there were so many cops there after the shooting that it is unlikely that the second domestic call would have been placed if they were already there.
> I don’t accept the “wrong house” excuse. <
I totally agree. It’s actually immaterial whether it was the right house or the wrong house. A guy answers his own front door with gun in hand. He’s not screaming threats. He doesn’t point the gun. He doesn’t fire the gun. He gets shot to death anyway.
That’s all that matters.
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