The last APD officer involved shooting has raised eyebrows, not for the dynamics of the shooting, but how once again the media has spun the story in an apparent effort to put an unjustified black mark on the Albuquerque Police Department. The printed media played a filthy game by referring to this armed violent convicted felon as a “victim.” The only reason to print such garbage was in order to sell a few extra copies of the product.
Raymond Leroy Garcia was no more a victim than Osama Bin Laden. Garcia terrorized several citizens at 6th and I-40 committing several violent felonies and carjacking a citizen at gun point. Who were the real victims? The real victims were the citizens of Albuquerque whose lives Garcia chose to place in peril. The innocent citizens who were on the road driving when Garcia defied the laws of our state and all law enforcements’ commands and refused to stop in a vehicle he had carjacked. Garcia already was a felon out on parole, not Cub Scout and not a regular law abiding citizen; he was a convicted criminal, a convicted felon. Garcia continued his criminal behavior of his own free choice over the weekend that ended in his life, the destiny he chose; is the path he followed.
The first victim was the attempting carjacking of a patron of Freeway Liquors. This victim left his home not knowing how dangerously close he came to not coming back. The first victim refused to give up the keys to his vehicle when Garcia threatened him with a gun. Garcia’s pointed a gun at the male and then fired at least one shot, luckily missing the innocent man who was just trying to protect his property. This is called a violent felony; an aggravated assault and attempted murder. Garcia did not stop there; he confronted another man and forced the man at gun point to give up his vehicle. It was by the grace of God that these two citizens’ did not lose their lives at hand of this violent convicted felon.
As the police arrived, they were able to see Garcia attempting to make his getaway. Their lights and sirens went on in an attempt to give Garcia an opportunity to surrender to law enforcement. By fleeing Garcia set the stage for his demise. Garcia clearly refused to accept responsibilities for his violent criminal actions. Garcia was not compliant with officers and led them on a high speed, dangerous pursuit. Every citizen along his path became a victim of his selfish, reckless malice. In the end, officers were able to stop the vehicle and Garcia continued to defy all commands by officers again. Garcia made the conscientious decision to point his gun at three police officers. The officers were now victims of an aggravated assault upon a police officer by a violent fleeing felon. What would anyone expect you to do when coming face to face with a violent fleeing felon that obviously gave no regard to anyone's life? The officers were left with no choice; they had stop the action of this violent felon. It appears that all three officers perceived the threat of an immediate and imminent death threat and responded appropriately.
There is no nice way to put this; how filthy of an act of labeling Raymond Leroy Garcia as a “victim” for the past two days in the Albuquerque Journal. If a violent convicted felon had a gun pointed at your mother, father, child or significant other and an innocent bystander killed him, would he still be the “victim” the Albuquerque Journal portrayed Garcia as? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Here is the Journals’ “victims” (Garcia's)history:
Raymond Leroy Garcia was a convicted felon arrested numerous times and guilty numerous times of violent felony crimes, among several misdemeanor crimes. In 1991 he was arrested for Receiving and Disposing of Stolen Property. In 1992, he was arrested for DWI. In 1993, he was arrested for Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, Resisting Arrest, and Disorderly Conduct. In 1994, he was arrested for Breaking and Entering, Aggravated Burglary, and Resisting Arrest. In 2001, Garcia was arrested for driving on a Revoked/Suspended License. In 2006, he was arrested for Aggravated Assault on a Household Member, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Child Abuse, and Habitual Offender enhancement. Finally, in 2008, he was arrested for Escaping from Jail, and a habitual offender enhancement again. He was not a victim by any stretch of the imagination in any of those crimes. So why is the Journal calling a violent convicted felon a “victim” now?
This man (Garcia) presented a clear and present danger to the public; to each and every one of you. Why does the current administration, including the current Public Safety Director, Darren White, refuse to confront the media when these blatant untruths are spewed from the paper? What would their actions have been? Would Chief Schultz choose to deploy a taser instead, since he is requiring everyone to carry a taser? If he had been there, would Darren White, even know what to do? It is time they stand up for the public safety, for their officers, instead of hiding and allowing the department to take another undeserved black mark.
Here is an old west thought, “Live by the gun; die by the gun.” Best idea, do not commit crimes and do not point guns at the Po Po! They will shot you…
32 comments:
THANK YOU EYE !
I too noticed the use of the word "victim" by the Journal. Given the circumstances I thought it was odd.
You talk about the Journal's spin but I would say the Eye is living in a glass house and shouldn't cast stones. The Eye is pro rank and file cop thus puts its own spin on things.
I would agree this shooting was clearly justified. And it doesn't matter what actions Garcia had committed in the past or during this latest episode, when he chose to point a weapon at officers then they like anyone else are entitled to defend themselves.
Taser??? The order went out on May 26 for all officers to carry tasers. I think its a good idea for those situations where an alternative to deadly force is needed. APD is out of control given the many shootings some of which are suspect.
I see in todays Journal that APD took a hit for the 2009 shooting of Andrew Lopez which will cost the taxpayers at least $400,000 (plus lawyer fees) Yeah, yeah, the officer was cleared by a grand jury and internal affairs but that means little. APD has a poor reputation when it comes to "credibility" and the judge (Baca) was correct to discount any APD testimony. A "preponderance" of the evidence points to APD officer Justin Montgomery and others involved as culpable.
What pissed me off, was Ch 4 identified him as " A 23 year old Hispanic man." Sorry, but to me it seemed like a cheap shot at race baiting.... Guess What Ch 4. The odds of a Hispanic man getting shot in the state are pretty good...... Only because we have alarge population of Hispanics.... So stick to saying "23 year old male" I truly think that race is only a factor when looking for someone, then a detailed description would be fitting.....
The Journal printed a retraction of the "victim" headline on the second page of the June 8 2011 edition. It wasn't a headline, but it was there.
Keep bum rushing the cars boys and string them up!
Why are the police being blamed? Why isn't the state being blamed for mandatory medication on these people with mental issues. there is no accountability on medical staff. these mentally ill people should be mandated to take their meds so issues don't arise putting officers in deadly force situations.
Was it a retraction on the journal's part because he was a child abuser, or was it becuase he was a POS, or was it becuase once again, APD was completely justified in the shooting?
I'm not saying to give a free pass to every single thing a cop does. I am saying that 99.9% of the time, the OFFENDER gets what they give.
The news media may slant it as they may, bottom line is that it is better to be judged by twelve than carried by six...so F' EM!
Why aren't the people of Albuquerque looking and the justice system and why we live in such a violent city that has caused these shootings
Im looking at the larger picture, Schlitz when you have you're expert, the apd sgt from the academy state that they are using the Montgomery shooting as a how to for the cadets. WTF I can tell you all the defense attorneys are foaming at the mouth, waiting for their next case and this case example. Maybe we can add whip topping to this and have your sugar mamma Levy still be the city attorney. Wow I wish I could be a defense attorney this team could pay for my kids future.
To Mayor Berry it is clear that you don't know anything about public safety but even YOU had to see that the statemenet by the training seargent who now played right into the hands of the Attorney's by allowing him to testify as an expert, was clearly wrong.
There are great officers out there doing their job. They APD officers are some of those. Taking a life has an affect on the officer as well. Who will tell that story? No telling how many lives these brave men saved, all in a days work.
We live in a drug corridor, two Interstates run through out city. Any idiot can figure out we are a city that criminals can use as a stopover, a sanctuary city where folks can hide, however I dont see the reference to hispanic male as race baiting here. Any call I hear an officer getting describes the alleged offender by race. So what.
They got the right guy, and are heroes to me. That couldve been my family in harms way. I support APD, and when APD has problems they will clean up their own, they have and always will.
To: June 9, 2011 6:58:00 AM MDT
The answer to why arent the people of ALB looking at why we live in such a violent city is obvious.
Sanctuary city/state, easy to get MVD ID's, careless release (former bribing) of criminals, judges who do lots of favors, and its right up the road from ole' Mejico, and east of Arizona, west of Hang em high! Texas.
So our number one Law Enforcement Academy churns out excellent cadets, only to get a few years and then recruited away by other agencies who are hurting using eee haa cops. Sheeesh, look at the guys who have left APD just to move on to bigger and better things. Sorry, took off on a tangent.
No wonder the Journal is often referred to as the Urninal
"Only because we have alarge population of Hispanics.... So stick to saying "23 year old male" I truly think that race is only a factor when looking for someone, then a detailed description would be fitting....."
To the "Hispanics" of the Great State of New Mexico... "Hispanic" IS NOT A RACE!
Off subject but Judge parker ruled yesterday in Brads case that the USA Tera Neda DID supress evidence and it would have been favorable but WASNT material???? WTF!!! Two key witnesses could have been called but were not due to the withholding and the two witnesses were none other than DARREN AND KATHY PEACHES WHITE its all in the Judges ruling...The gov either withheld evidence or didnt the judge says THEY DID and still this nightmare is still going....WOW..
Are officers really leaving APD for other agencies? Unemployment is so high, cops are being laid off all around the USA, so just where are the green pastures?
Speaking of green, thanks to Ray Schultz lack of leadership and direction, the citizens of Albuquerque are on the hook for another $400,000+ attorney fees. Wow is this the kind of "run it like a business" Mayor Berry campaigned on? If so, how many of his company employees have cost his company millions, and still have a job? ZERO!
But when you are spending someone elses money there is no accountability. Berry will keep Ray and Ray will continue to lose Taxpayer money through his horrible leadership.
Good for you Albuquerque, you voted him in.
I say Hooray for the cops and thanks for a job well done! These guys and ladies are doing an excellent job in a dangerous and stressful environment and having to do it under extremely poor management. And just to keep things in focus - I am not a cop.
Those of you thinking Ken Sanchez is the answer better watch out. Take a look at his voting record with the current administration. He voted for anything and everything that the current Mayor put past the council. Now that Ken is in the running for Mayor he is seeing that he can gain the support of the city unions by voting against the current administration. In my opinion the candidate that will sway his vote for public opinion is the most dangerous of all!!!
The criminal they refer to as a victim is totally wrong. The victims were the citizens who he tried to carjack or did carjack. The police did their job and that is that! The career criminal sealed his own fate. APD thanks for keeping us safe! I don't always agree with how things are handled, but in this case totally justified.
What the APD Training officer said in the Montgomery trial was that he uses all shootings to spark discussion in the classroom on the topic of deadly force. You must be a newspaper reporter because you completely made up your own false story to get mass blog hits. So if your basing your kids future on a law suit it looks like they will still be going to CNM on the lottery like the rest of em.
Who cares??!! Brad is going to jail because danced with the devil until it was waayy too late.
"I gotchyer back, babe!" LOL.
The Eye posts once a month and when it does it's about the cameras or something no one gives a #@!* about.
The Journal "blasphemed" some rookie shooters??? Who cares??!!
Brad will be taken away from his family to jail. And for what??!! Trusting Darren and Ray would help him when he helped them?
Never seen something this wrong happen while our people did nothing.
Its APD they make it to easy for me, keep paying, keep using Levy and your "experts" and my kids going to best college money can buy. BRING IT
To June 10 2011 12:45 AM. Dont blame the EYE they care very much about Brad. Things are going on that can not be discussed,until it happens. There are technical issues involved, where experts have been hired,and things are taking more time than was expected.People are working on Brads behalf and will not give up until and inocent man is freeded and the guilty answer for what they have done to this man, and if you think about it all of us. The EYE can only print what we send them. The EYE is the only media that has reported the truth about Brad.
@ fkdrn - What's the matter, having a problem swallowing your own medicine there booby? Never see you bitching when it happens to a regular Joe.
Regular Joe, guess if we knew the regular joe we would care then to...just happen to know all of the key players and if this happens everyday its scary, the Ryan Buckners, and Chris Bakkus of the world along with Darren White and Tera Neda's doing whatever they choose and breaking any laws/rules and nobody has the balls to stop them. But hey Buckner you got away with all of this didnt you?? Or did you? time will tell
I have said it before.... Darren White must be in my opinion suffering from PTSD disorder after a deputy was shot point blank in 2005 by a pyschotic killer just for pulling the guy over for a traffic violation! What is strikingly odd is that Darren White doesn't believe in PTSD disorder and believes that military men are whoozes by stating PTSD disorder. I think it is time for Darren White to admit that PTSD disorder is very real and that not only those in the military but also law enforcement can suffer from PTSD disorder! Get some help Darren for that PTSD stemming from a very brave soul shot in the line of duty and that way there will be less likely that the tone will be set to shoot to kill!
Lets see if they review the expert witness testimomy in this trial like they did Brads testimony in the camacho case.
805 funny part is he had to spit it out cuz it wasnt his....HA...
With all that I have been reading is appears that we have a leadership problem at APD from Dareen White down the chain to some of the Commanders. Get rid of White to start, get an entire new staff of DC's and Chief and bring in someone that will hold the officers accountable yet someone they respect and who will walk the walk. There must be some retiree out there who would fit the bill. What say you?
I agree except I would not bring in someone from APD. Anyone who was in the command staff during Schultz and Gil Gallegos is tainted with scandal. During that time all the command staff knew about the Evidence Room and they all turned a blind eye. Nope we need someone hardcore from outside who can instill fairness, discipline and pride again.
The thing is nothing will change unless Berry feels like he won't be re-elected. If he feels his re-election is safe, Schultz and White are here to stay.
All of us at APD have received extensive training from day one, and will continue to do so throughout our careers. That's just the nature of our job. Whether we started at APD, were hired as laterals, open space, etc. we are all certified officers. Having said that, it's time to step up to the plate and support one another, rather than bash each other at every turn. When we scew up, there are consequences for our actions. Far to many of these "anonymous" comments blame the Mayor, Darren White, Chief Schultz and the brass for everything that goes wrong at the cop shop. Wake up folks, the people on the fifth and ninth floors are not babysitters. It's their responsibility to give credit and praise when we are right and hand out discipline when we are wrong. I may not agree with everything Chief Schultz does, but he is no more responsible for the crap he gets blamed for than we are for every cop that turn out bad. The APD has always had a proud tradition. We are well trained, we do a good job at assessing most situations, we have family and friends who have been in trouble, and we want to go home to our families at the end of a shift. The large majority of those who live and work in Albq, including the media, respect APD and recognize the hard work of ALL our officers and support staff, regardless of rank. Far too often we tend to be our own worst enemies. We are extremely judgmental, quick to assess blame, overly sensitive & opinionated, and far to short on solutions. Let's get back to supporting each other, and looking in the mirror FIRST before we bash our supervisors and department heads.
John Maruffi, APD
Me thinks Darren is looking for employment elsewhere just in case things go south here! He was spotted in Dallas on 6-6-11. official business, personal business or personal business posing as official business?? Something is up!!!
FAIRNESS AT APD? NOOOOOO WILL NEVER HAPPEN.
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