An officer shot a suspect who pointed what looked like a handgun but turned out to be an airsoft BB gun that closely resembled the real, lethal weapon, an Albuquerque Police Department news release said.
The incident on July 4, from which the suspect, Jerry Baldonado, is still recovering from gunshot wounds fired by Officer Dominic Sanchez, was the subject of a news conference on Tuesday.
APD officers went to a house on the 2100 block of South Branch Drive SW around 12:20 pm, responding to a call by Baldonado, who asked them to help with a family dispute, and that his brother had a gun the day before, the release said.
As Sanchez approached the house and announced twice that he was a police officer, Baldonado opened the front door and pointed what appeared to be a handgun at Sanchez. After Sanchez took cover and told Baldonado to put his weapon down, Baldonado instead pointed it at Sanchez, who fired three shots that hit him, the release said.
Baldonado received medical treatment at the scene and was then taken to the hospital.
APD will continue its investigation of the shooting, and a multi-agency task force will send a report to the District Attorney’s Office. That’s where it will be decided if criminal charges are warranted.
APD’s internal affairs division is looking at whether department policies were followed, and the city’s superintendent of police reform will decide whether Sanchez should be disciplined.
