After members of the Albuquerque Police Department killed James Boyd in 2014, audio was released of one officer saying he was going to shoot Boyd with a Taser shotgun before he’d even gone into the Foothills of the Sandia Mountains.
Keith Sandy is facing a second-degree murder charge and as part of his defense, he took the stand to explain why he said that as he was getting his gear out of his truck before heading up the hill to the scene.
"I knew that standards had been met to use a Taser shotgun," Sandy said. "I knew that [a] Taser shotgun was effective. And I just said it as a way that, a tool to take him into custody, to resolve the situation."
Sandy went on that evening to fire a regular rifle three times, shooting bullets into into Boyd’s arms. A medical investigator testified earlier in the trial that those wounds contributed to his death. If convicted, Sandy is facing up to 15 years in prison. After Sandy testified Wednesday, Oct. 5, the defense rested its case.
