Stay Alert and Comply!

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Learn from others' mistakes. In this case, a days-long running complaint between neighbors with guns escalated twice in 20 minutes; when deputies arrived the second time, they saw the good guy (51 year-old former deputy and SWAT member from their agency) pointing a gun, ordered him to drop it. He didn't and was killed by a single shot.

Leave aside the incompetent inaction of the deputies on the initial call and focus on the deadly subsequent call.

1. Your wife is on the phone with 911 and knows where deputies are - back up into cover.
2. When deputies shout at you, no matter what they are saying, you know to put the gun down on the ground, hands up.

High emotions and guns can be as deadly as alcohol or drugs (the real problem in this series of incidents is a meth-head neighbor) and guns. Never stop thinking!

Former deputy killed in shooting involving Valencia County sheriff's deputies
 
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Ooo boy...this is going to be interesting to see how this plays out. The article says that the first time deputies arrived they told Gabaldon to put down the firearm, he complied. They then left and Rodriguez tried to run Gabaldon down with his car and started shooting at him again.

If I'm getting this straight, the second time the deputies arrived, they had Rodriguez's mother sign an Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order. Apparently, that didn't do much good because Rodriguez continued to shoot up the neighborhood.

I'm not sure how many times the deputies were called. The article states, "several times within 24 hours."

As I have said many times before, it's a mighty thin pancake that doesn't have two sides. It will definitely be interesting to see how this plays out.
 
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I'm betting a massive risk management-driven settlement to the widow for negligent failure to protect. The deputies clearly established a 'special duty' when reassuring the neighbors/victims and the doper's mother.

It will never compensate adequately for a good man gone.

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Neighbor speaks out about Sunday’s police shooting in Valencia County
by: Marilyn Upchurch

Posted: Oct 1, 2024 / 05:45 PM MDT
Updated: Oct 2, 2024 / 11:00 AM MDT

https:// www. krqe. com/news/new-mexico/neighbor-speaks-out-about-sundays-police-shooting-in-valencia-county/]

...According to neighbors, it all started with another man who lives on their street, Thomas Rodriguez, who they said has been a problem before. “He causes scenes every six months, shoots his gun out, shoots at the neighbor’s houses,” said the neighbor.”

Neighbors said they’ve called police other times on Rodriguez. Then, around 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, Valencia County deputies responded to reports of Rodriguez outside his home shooting a rifle into the air.

The sheriff’s office said deputies tried to talk to Rodriguez but he refused to come out of his home. Instead, they spoke to his mother who agreed to file an Extreme Risk Firearms Protection Order petition to have her son’s guns seized.

Deputies left to get that court order, but around 8 p.m. they were called back for a dispute between Rodriguez and his neighbor, Michael Gabaldon, who told deputies Rodriguez tried to run him over.


Rodriguez again refused to leave his home and deputies left. Soon after, the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office said they were back a 3rd time for reports that Rodriguez and Gabaldon were exchanging gunfire.

Close the spaces for the original article...
 
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There's a good middle ground between enriching bail bondsmen (with everyone having to use a bonding company or post thousands in cash that you don't have) and letting all felons walk - NM hasn't yet found that middle ground.
 
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There are many VERY dangerous people out and about. Hopefully that will begin to change soon. Always do what the cops say.
 
Leaving the scene while you still have an armed person who has a history of shooting up the neighborhood and is currently refusing to comply isn't anywhere near the middle of anything, no mater how many piece of paper you got his mom to sign. Thats nuts. Returning to shoot a citizen who refused to disarm himself after being fired upon by the guy you failed to disarm and left alone to terrorize the neighborhood is way out in left field.

While I agree he should have dropped his weapon, the cops abandoning the scene and leaving the people of the area in a situation where they needed to be armed is the reason he ended up dead.
 
I left New Mexico back in 2017 and never looked back...crime was getting worse by the minute. LE seemed handcuffed with regard to enforcing laws, especially Albuquerque PD after Eric Holder's DOJ slammed them.
 
Leaving the scene while you still have an armed person who has a history of shooting up the neighborhood and is currently refusing to comply isn't anywhere near the middle of anything, no mater how many piece of paper you got his mom to sign. Thats nuts. Returning to shoot a citizen who refused to disarm himself after being fired upon by the guy you failed to disarm and left alone to terrorize the neighborhood is way out in left field.

While I agree he should have dropped his weapon, the cops abandoning the scene and leaving the people of the area in a situation where they needed to be armed is the reason he ended up dead.

^^^^^^^^ this 100%. My question is, since when is it ok to “ not come out of the house”? I’m not a cop. I certainly don’t know NM law, but if you don’t come out it seems as though they could remove you? I mean c’mon there was gun fire
 
There is a lot of gutless (oops, I meant risk-averse) police activity in and around Albuquerque because APD was too far the other way and got hammered by the criminal courts, put under a Federal 'consent decree,' and has received (often-deserved) intense public scrutiny of every action (and inaction). Too often the result in every agency that touches APD is a serious case of 'can't do nothin' disease. In policing there are consequences to action and inaction - as a cop, you get paid to decide. Don't like it? Do something else.
 
The other guy didn't comply, but they left him armed and dangerous. They got his mother to sign a paper. So damned ridiculous.

"Gutless"
The deputies were either incompetent or cowards or both.
So now the homeowner who did nothing but try to protect himself is dead, and the raging meth-head is free to run wild.
 
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The other guy didn't comply, but they left him armed and dangerous. They got his mother to sign a paper. So damned ridiculous.

"Gutless"
The deputies were either incompetent or cowards or both.
So now the homeowner who did nothing but try to protect himself is dead, and the raging meth-head is free to run wild.

Or supervised poorly.

The point of the thread is to always keep thinking when you're armed. You only have control of you.
 
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There's a good middle ground between enriching bail bondsmen (with everyone having to use a bonding company or post thousands in cash that you don't have) and letting all felons walk - NM hasn't yet found that middle ground.

It's by design. One party runs the state, top to bottom. They have veto proof majorities in both houses, the governorship - they could change a lot of things, but they choose not to. I won't mention that the majority of judges, chiefs and sheriffs belong to that same party.

BTW, there are a lot of incompetent/corrupt LE in NM. In Farmington LE showed up at the wrong address and killed the homeowner. BCSO has Machine Gun Manny Sheriff Gonz. Then there's a APD under federal investigation over a DWI scandal. It's been going on for years and a number of cops have resigned, including the IA guy - but the Chief Medina knows nothing about it! Also, Chief Medina who ran a red light running from a gunfight and t-boned a guy seriously injuring him and if Medina been a regular cop he'd have been fired - instead the city got him a nearly $100k Ford truck as his driver. Of course, other LE investigated everything and found nothing wrong.

New Mexico, incompetence, graft and corruption is thy name.

In NM, think twice before calling 911 and go out of your way to avoid ANY contact with LE. Your life depends on it!
 

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