Farmington Police officers went to the wrong house and killed the man who came to the door with a gun (New Mexico)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | April 7, 2023 | Matthew Reisen

[CedarDave]

Farmington police responding to an argument went to the wrong house Wednesday night and shot and killed the homeowner when he came to the door with a gun in his hand.

New Mexico State Police spokesman Ray Wilson said officers “mistakenly” went to the home of 52-year-old Robert Dotson and killed him before shooting at his wife in a neighborhood near the Animas River.

Wilson said Dotson’s wife fired back at police from the doorway and officers shot at her but missed. Wilson added, “Once she realized that the individuals outside the residence were officers, she put the gun down and complied with the officer’s commands.”

Shanice Gonzales, a spokeswoman for the Farmington Police Department, said three officers who were “directly involved” have been put on administrative leave.

Gonzales said the call police were initially to be responding to was for a “verbal argument” and nobody was injured or detained in that incident. She did not say how the address mix-up occurred.

By Friday morning the incident had made national news and a Facebook video posted by Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe garnered hundreds of comments from those criticizing the officers, demanding Hebbe’s resignation and talking about what a good man Dotson, a father, was.

In the video Hebbe said it was “a very dark day” for the department.

“What I will tell you, as the chief, is this is an extremely traumatic event and that I am just heartbroken by the circumstances surrounding this,” he said. “Mr. Dotson was not the subject of the call that our officers were responding to and this ending is just unbelievably tragic. I am extremely sorry that we are in this position.”

He added, “There is nothing I can say that will make this better.”

[CedarDave]

Spokeswoman Gonzales not say how many of those officers fired their weapons, give their names or say how long they had been with the department.

[CedarDave]

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[Regulator]

The important is that the only people worth considering all went home safe.

[Husker24]

The a-holes will probably try and charge the wife.

[SaveFerris]

(went to the wrong house)

Oops

Addresses.....

[gitmo]

Oops.

Never mind.

[SaveFerris]

(I am extremely sorry that we are in this position.”)

Oh? How about the victim?

[Brilliant]

Looks like a decent lawsuit.

[kiryandil]

You don't have to answer your phone, and you don't have to answer knocks on your door.

Train yourself.

[Lurker]

File criminal charges against every one of the cops.

Don’t wait for the States Attorney.

L

[Organic Panic]

Whoopsie. Back the blue.

[rktman]

Victim declined comment. Odd things occur in the 4 corners area. 😳

[I want the USA back]

“Wrong” is not an excuse. It’s manslaughter.

[rktman]

If not in my contacts, the calls dont get answered. They can leave a message. If my gate is closed and locked, they can’t knock or ring the door bell. And the front cam will pick them up. 😏

[from occupied ga]

GOOD SHOOT!!! it always is.

[TalBlack]

I’d really like to see how this went down.

If I answered the door, gun or no gun and when I opened it the cops outside reached for their holsters I’m pretty sure I’d dive away as soon as I saw the going for it. Did they have their guns out?

I’m also pretty sure that if I answered the door with a gun no one would see it until I wanted them to. Showing a gun around cops even fifty years ago could be a pretty dicey thing.

[jeffersondem]

The first thing: the Police Chief and the officers involved must resign.

They have forfeited their privilege to carry a badge and a gun.

The officers involved may be good people, but a killing like this is not repairable.

The former officers can get jobs doing something that does not put others at risk.

[from occupied ga]

Qualified immunity - the cops can’t be touched criminally or civilly. Two tiered “justice” at its finest.

[Openurmind]

“Did they have their guns out?”

You can bet on it... And you can also bet they did not identify themselves as LE or this would have never happened.

[discostu]

I don’t think it would have gone better for him if they kicked the door in.