Attorney for Boyd’s family reacts to charges against officers

While Sam Bregman, the attorney who represents former APD officer Keith Sandy, defended him and his actions, the attorney for James Boyd’s family listened on, and had plenty to say afterwards regarding Bregman’s comments Monday.

“This is a day when the citizens of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County should be proud that our representative has the courage to say no one is above the law and no one is below the law — that every life in the city of Albuquerque matters,” said the attorney for James Boyd’s family, Shannon Kennedy.

She says the way attorney Sam Bregman portrayed Boyd in his comments was “dehumanizing.”

She told KOB she takes issue with Bregman’s descriptions of how Boyd “threatened” the officers, and said Boyd was provoked by open space officers, who woke him while he was sleeping and tried to pat him down.

Kennedy added that Boyd “did not assault” the officers and that their lives were not immediately in danger when officers Keith sandy and Dominique Perez shot him.

“James Matthew Boyd cannot speak for himself. Sadly, he’s gone,” Kennedy said. “[Bregman’s] client killed him. It was an unlawful taking of life. Police officers should not be able to be allowed to operate above the law.”

Kennedy hopes the charges will send a message to other officers and administrators, and she believes the lapel camera video is what made this case different. 

“One way we move forward is a watched cop does not boil. Keith Sandy’s camera did not work. He didn’t know he was being videotaped. But from here on out APD officers are going to know that they have a lapel camera that should be working. And if it’s not working, we’re suspicious as to why not,” Kennedy said.

Boyd’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against APD, and says they’ll be watching the upcoming preliminary hearing closely.