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Albuquerque Police Officer Involved In Shooting Fired

Rita Daniels

 

An Albuquerque officer who fatally shot a 19-year-old woman and did not record the encounter has been fired.

Today Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden released a statement that Officer Jeremy Dear was terminated after an internal investigation. 

He says the probe found that Dear violated department policies and wasn't truthful.

As KUNM's Rita Daniels reports, Attorney Thomas Grover told reporters the firing was unjust because the departments camera policy is erratic. Grover represents Dear.

“He’s absolutely being scapegoated for this camera issue,” Grover said. “What the department has done today is make it clear to every officer out there that you will record all encounters all the time or you will be fired.”

Dear plans to appeal. He had been on administrative leave since he fatally shot suspected truck thief Mary Hawkes following an April 21st chase.

Authorities say Dear shot Hawkes after she pulled a weapon on him. An autopsy showed Hawkes died from three gunshot wounds to the head, neck and chest. A toxicology report later showed Hawkes had methamphetamine in her system.

 

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