A tragedy occurred in New Mexico when police officers went to the wrong house. In a letter from the family to federal prosecutors, it says there was no probable cause to suspect that a crime had been or was being committed. The letter also states that police officers entered onto private property through a locked gate, late at night and knocked on a door. Moments later, the officers opened fire and fatally wounded the man who answered the door. His family is now seeking justice for civil rights violations.
The man’s family has asked that murder charges be filed against three police officers. The officers are on administrative leave pending an investigation of the tragic events. The officers were reportedly called to respond to a domestic violence situation. However, the call had come from a house across the street from the house they approached.
The man answered the door with a firearm in his hand
Questions remain unanswered as to why the police went to the wrong house when the address was clearly posted, and they had asked the dispatcher to confirm the address. When they knocked on the wrong door, the man who answered it was holding a gun. The officers immediately opened fire, and he was shot dead in his own doorway.
The man’s grieving family says this is not the only case in New Mexico or across the country where civil rights violations have resulted in the death of an innocent person. They hope that their legal actions in memory of their loved one help to promote changes to make their community safer for residents, whom they believe are at risk because of unnecessary force often used by police. Families whose lives have been devastated by such events may wish to seek consultation with an attorney who is well-versed in civil rights issues.