Albuquerque
Suspects in undercover narcotics operation identified
Albuquerque police have identified the two suspects arrested Fridayin connection to an undercover narcotics operation near Central and Tramway.
According to the criminal complaint, Damian Bailey, 28, had been in contact with undercover detectives. Baily told the undercover detectives that he could get them methamphetamine “shards” for $60 and told the detectives to meet him in the area of Dunes and Whispering Sands SE.
Police say Bailey and another man identified as Edmond Vester, 28, entered the detective’s vehicle. Baily instructed the detectives to drive to the Econo Lodge near Central and Tramway NE.
According to APD, Vester exited the vehicle to get the methamphetamine. He returned to the vehicle some time later with what appeared to be the drugs requested.
A pre-determined arrest signal was given and relayed to assisting detectives in the area. Baily and Vester were immediately taken into custody without incident.
Sometime during the operation an undercover APD detective was shot by another undercover officer.
According to Chief Gordon Eden, both officers involved were wearing plain clothes.
KOB has learned from multiple sources that the officer who fired the shots was actually the lieutenant of the officer who was shot.
The officer who was shot is currently in critical condition at the University of New Mexico Hospital. Sources say he went into surgery after 2 p.m. Friday, but was out by 7 p.m. APD said he was stable after surgery, but still in “extremely critical” condition.
Sources: APD officer shot by own lieutenant during undercover operation
ALBUQUERQUE — An undercover Albuquerque police narcotics detective was shot by another officer near Central Avenue SE and Tramway Boulevard around 11:40 a.m. Friday. APD Chief Gorden Eden said the officer was shot by another officer during an undercover narcotics operation. Both officers involved were plainclothes officers, according to Eden.
KOB has learned from multiple sources that the officer who fired the shots was actually the lieutenant of the officer who was shot.
The officer who was shot is currently in critical condition at the University of New Mexico Hospital. Sources say he went into surgery after 2 p.m., but was out by 7 p.m. APD said he was stable after surgery, but still in “extremely critical” condition. Continue reading
Albuquerque pilot, girlfriend on board missing plane
An Albuquerque pilot and his girlfriend, a teacher, were on board a single-engine plane reported missing Monday, according to a family friend.
New Mexico State Police confirmed Howard Guthrie and Melissa Watson took off from the Moriarty Airport en route to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, on Friday. The plane was scheduled to land in Pagosa Springs at 5 p.m. Friday and return this past weekend, however, officials say the plane never made it to Pagosa Springs.
“We think that they’re out there somewhere and need help,” said long-time friend, Matthew Pena.
Civil Air Patrol officials told KOB the pilot was advised of poor weather conditions in the area at the time.
On Tuesday, the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office said the plane’s flight path came to an end just west of Buckles Lake in the San Juan National Forest. The county assembled three ground rescue teams to search the area near the plane’s last GPS reading. Three aircrafts will also patrol the area, rotating every hour.
Officials said fresh snow from the weekend could be covering the plane if it went down.
At this time, the sheriff’s office says there is no confirmation that the plane crashed.
Guthrie is the registered owner of the single-engine Mooney M20 plane, according to Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board records.
Watson is a teacher at Valle Vista Elementary School in Albuquerque. Her young son also attends the school.
“The fact that neither one of them has contacted family or friends in four days is very alarming,” said Pena. “Something is definitely wrong because she’s a great mother and great teacher and she would contact her place of employment and her son for sure.”
The search will continue until dark Tuesday and will begin again Wednesday morning.
This is a developing news story; stay tuned to KOB.com and KOB Eyewitness News 4 for the latest details.
A family friend has set up a GoFundMe account where you can donate online.To visit the GoFundMe page: Click Here
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story stated that the pilot was from Rio Rancho based on the plane’s registration. The pilot is from Albuquerque.
-With Elizabeth Reed; originally published at KOB.com
APD officer Keith Sandy retires from department
Albuquerque police officer Keith Sandy submitted a notice of his retirement to APD Tuesday, according to APD spokesperson Tanner Tixier.
Sandy has been heavily-scrutinized for his role in the shooting death of homeless camper James Boyd earlier this year.
A KOB investigation revealed that hours prior to shooting Boyd in a standoff involving APD and New Mexico State Police, Sandy told another officer he wanted to shoot Boyd in the groin.
An FBI investigation into Sandy’s shooting of Boyd is ongoing, but Sandy has not been indicted. Under New Mexico law, Sandy would not be entitled to a pension if he filed for retirement after a conviction.
The State Public Employees Retirement Association determines retirement eligibility and calculates pensions. KOB has requested Sandy’s documents, but will likely not see them until Wednesday at the earliest.
Sandy is also no longer listed on the City of Albuquerque’s transparency website, though a city spokesperson said that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s out of the payroll system.
Two hours before Sandy shot and killed homeless camper James Boyd, he was recorded telling another officer that he would shoot Boyd in the penis with a shotgun.
Sandy responded to the scene on March 16th where Boyd refused to come down from a makeshift campsite in the foothills near Tramway and Copper. At the scene, Sandy saw former colleague State Police Officer Chris Ware. Sandy didn’t realize it, but Ware’s dash cam was rolling and picked up their conversation.
Sandy: What do they have you guys doing here?
Ware: I don’t know. The guy asked for state police.
Sandy: Who asked?
Ware: I don’t know.
Sandy: For this f***ing lunatic? I’m going to shoot him in the penis with a shotgun here in a second.
Ware: You got uh less-lethal?
Sandy: I got…
Ware: The Taser shotgun?
Sandy: Yeah.
Ware: Oh, I thought you guys got rid of those?
Sandy: ROP’s got one…here’s what we’re thinking, because I don’t know what’s going on, nobody has briefed me…
Civil rights attorney Shannon Kennedy represents Boyd’s family in a wrongful death suit against APD. Kennedy believes Sandy spelled out his intentions, then carried them out.
“Two hours later he’s escalating the situation so he can do just that,” Kennedy said in an exclusive interview with 4 Investigates. “It’s chilling evidence and stunning that he has not been criminally indicted. He says to a state police officer ‘that f’ing lunatic, I’m going to shoot him in the penis. It’s crystal clear and he says it with contempt in his voice.’”
In April, APD internal investigators asked Sandy about what he meant by the “shooting in the penis” comment. In an internal investigation transcript, sandy is quoted saying,
“Jokingly, just kind of locker room banter, just told him, you know, ‘Don’t worry. I’ll shoot him in the pecker with this and call it good.’”
But a few minutes later, the transcript shows that Sandy recanted his statement. The investigator asked, “Did you say anything to Chris Ware about shooting him in the pecker?”
Sandy responded, “I don’t…no, I don’t think I did.”
In the transcript, Sandy gave the internal investigators a lengthy explanation how the officers working in the Albuquerque Police Repeat Offenders Program (ROP) often make cruel and crude jokes. In fact, Sandy described the hostility among his peers getting so bad that the officers adopted a “safe word.” When officer use the safe word, CHINA, all jokes must stop. Sandy told investigators he was merely making a crude joke when he said he wanted to shoot Boyd in the penis.
“Of course it’s not a joke because he went forward and actually shot him,” Kennedy said. “Clearly he has complete disregard for people suffering from mental disabilities. He calls him an expletive lunatic and then in the next breath says I’m going to shoot him in the penis. What is so mortifying about this shooting, and thank goodness we have a tape to show exactly what he did– which is instead of shooting him in the penis, he shoots him in the lower back. So had James Boyd not turned around at that moment to set down his bags, he would have been shot in the penis.”
Sandy, according to an APD spokeswoman, is on administrative leave, but may still carry his gun and badge.