Officer Involved Shooting Review on DA file Number 2012-00750-1
Decedent: Michael Marquez Officer: James Perdue, APD Date: August 30, 2011 Location: 217 60 TH St, NW, Albuquerque, NM APD Report: 11-0080924
The Second Judicial District Attorneys Office has completed its review of the investigation in the above fatal Officer-Involved Shooting that occurred on August 30, 2011. The District Attorneys Office finds the shooting was justified under the criminal laws of the State of New Mexico and will not pursue criminal charges against Officer James Perdue. The investigation of this officer-involved shooting was conducted in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Albuquerque Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office, New Mexico State Police, and the Second Judicial District Attorneys Office. All three police agencies participated in the investigation, and a Chief Deputy District Attorney was present at the scene and present for briefings and the walk-through at the scene. The following materials were used in our review of this case: the complete police report, crime scene report, OMI report, photographs taken at the scene, the crime lab reports and audio recordings of all witness interviews. On February 25, 2013, the decedents family was also invited to submit information for our consideration in this matter, but have not done so.
BRIEF SUMMARY
On August 30, 2011, the Albuquerque Police Department was working to apprehend Michael Marquez for several armed robberies and a warrant had been issued for his arrest. They received a tip that Michael Marquez could be found at 217 60 th
Street, SW, and set up surveillance near that location. Police observed Marquez retrieve a large bag from an outdoor shed at the residence and run into an open field. It became apparent that the bag contained or covered a long gun. The rifle was later confirmed to be a loaded AK47. Marquez refused repeated orders to drop his weapon. A stand-off lasting approximately one hour ensued. During the stand-off, SWAT was dispatched to the area for assistance. Officer Perdue, a member of that SWAT team, was aware that Marquez had fled the residence with an AK47 and that the area around the field was a residential area. Michael Marquez appeared to become increasingly angry and raised his weapon toward detectives who were standing behind an SUV in the field approximately twenty yards away from Marquez. Officer Perdue stated that he believed that the detectives were in immediate danger and that people living in the residential area were in danger as well. Officer Perdue, in uniform and on duty, shot Michael Marquez twice with his Colt M4LE .223 caliber rifle, killing him. The District Attorneys role in reviewing this homicide is to determine whether the shooting of Michael Marquez was lawful and to provide a detailed explanation to the 2 public about the facts and the law in that regard. As stated in Graham v. Connor 490 U.S. 386 (1989), this process requires careful attention to both the facts and the circumstances. Hence, this analysis will give careful attention to both the facts and the circumstances of the fatal shooting of Michael Marquez. The findings in this report are supplemented by a copy of the detectives supplemental police report (Supp Out), criminalistics report and various other documents, photographs and diagrams to assist the public in understanding the events in this case and the determinations made by the District Attorney.
INVESTIGATIVE FINDINGS:
DETECTIVE C. JUAREZ
Detective Juarez was investigating a robbery which occurred on July 15, 2011. Through photo arrays and video surveillance, Michael Marquez was identified as a suspect. Detective Juarez obtained an arrest warrant for Michael Marquez for armed robbery on August 29, 2011. After the initial robbery, two more robberies were reported in which Marquez was positively identified as the offender. (See Exhibit 12 Robbery Investigation Supp Out) On August 30, 2011, based on a tip, the robbery unit conducted surveillance at 217 60 th NW. Detective Juarez observed Michael Marquez exit the house and go to another door which was a storage closet or shed, retrieving a blue and white bag. Marquez took the bag and ran west from the residence. Detective Michaud advised it appeared Michael was armed with a long gun. Detective Juarez saw Marquez holding a rifle or a long gun, but it was concealed in a duffel bag or a shirt. Detective Juarez heard Detective Michaud issue commands to Marquez. Detective Juarez also issued commands for Marquez to drop his weapon. Marquez looked toward Detective Juarez, became more agitated and yelled at Detective Juarez. Detective Juarez heard Marquez rack a round into the chamber. Because Detective Juarez presence appeared to be agitating Marquez, Juarez pulled back out of Marquez line of vision. During debriefing, Detective Juarez stated he heard two shots.
DETECTIVE ANDREW MICHAUD
Detective Michaud and Detective Lowe participated in the surveillance operation around 217 60 th NW in a white SUV. Detectives heard Detective C. Juarez advise over the air that the suspect, Michael Marquez, was running westbound through the field. Detective Michaud observed Marquez climb through a chain link fence with some sort of a bag in his hand. Detective Lowe drove the SUV to confront Marquez. Detective Michaud observed Marquez grab the front of the bag with one hand, and the other hand reached inside the bag. Marquez pointed something at Detective Michaud and Lowe. Detective Michaud recognized the object as a weapon, either a shotgun or a rifle, and immediately notified Detective Lowe. Detective Lowe stopped the vehicle and both detectives exited the white SUV. Detective Lowe took cover behind the SUV. Detective Michaud immediately started 3 talking to Marquez. Detective Michaud told Marquez to drop the weapon but Marquez refused to do so. While Detective Michaud continued talking with Marquez, Alejandra Hernandez approached the detectives. Alejandra Hernandez is Marquez girlfriend and mother of Marquez children. Hernandez told Detective Michaud that Marquez had purchased an AK47 the previous evening. Detective Lowe informed other officers over the radio. Detectives felt they had insufficient cover behind the SUV. Detective Michaud continued to speak with Marquez, but Marquez became more agitated. Marquez said he, was ready to die but he was going to take detectives with him. Detective Michaud stated he felt his life and the lives of Detective Lowe and Hernandez were in jeopardy because they didnt have proper cover from a weapon like an AK47. Detective Michaud could hear SWAT units arriving over the radio. Marquez pointed the AK47 directly at the SUV and two shots rang out. Detective Michaud and Lowe jumped into the back of the SUV because they didnt know where the shots came from. Detective Michaud looked up and saw Marquez lying on the ground not moving.
DETECTIVE LOWE
Detective Lowe was conducting surveillance with Detective Michaud around 217 60 th NW. Detectives heard that Marquez was running westbound toward an open field. Detective Lowe, driving an SUV, immediately headed north through the open field. Detectives observed Marquez stop running as he pointed a blue and white duffel bag in the direction of the SUV. Detective Lowe identified the object as a weapon and stopped the SUV. Detectives took cover behind the SUV. Detectives ordered Marquez to get on the ground and drop the weapon. Detective Lowe couldnt see the gun because it was concealed inside a bag. Detective Lowe observed Marquez holding an object as if it was a long gun. Detective Lowe was certain that Marquez was armed. Detective Michaud continued talking to Marquez and asked him to lower the weapon. Alejandra Hernandez approached and stated that Marquez had purchased an AK47 the night before. Detective Lowe relayed this information over the radio. Detective Lowe and Michaud discussed a tactical retreat but there was no safe way to exit. Detective Michaud continued talking with Marquez but Marquez would not put down the weapon. Detective Lowe believed that Marquez was pointing the weapon at the SUV. While Detective Lowe and Michaud where discussing their position they heard a pop. Detective Lowe and Detective Michaud jumped in the SUV thinking shoots were being fired in their direction. Detective Lowe stated she heard SWAT approaching.
SERGEANT E. BROWN
Sergeant Brown is a SWAT member and was on route to the scene when SWAT was activated. Over the radio, Sergeant Brown heard that a male subject was armed with a rifle. While at the scene, Sergeant Brown observed a male subject standing in an open 4 field. The male was agitated and armed with a rifle. Sergeant Brown heard Marquez yelling, If you think this is funny, Ill show you funny. I shoot everyone. Sergeant Brown heard that Officer Perdue was in place. Sergeant Brown then heard a shot fired and Marquez fall down. When Sergeant Brown approached Marquez, he observed a rifle within arms reach of the male.
OFFICER J. GARCIA
Officer Garcia was deployed with his long gun and sought high ground to observe Marquez. Marquez was in the open field at this time. Officer Garcia was able to find cover behind Marquez. Officer Garcia could hear Marquez say, You better tell your boys to back off. Marquez appeared to be agitated and upset. Marquez also stated, Im ready to die, and asked the officers if they were ready to die. Officer Garcia could see Marquez arms were extended down in front, which was consistent with a gun. Officer Garcia heard numerous commands to put the weapon down. Marquez attention was focused on the SUV. Officer Garcia observed Marquez start to stand again when he heard the first of two shots fired. Marquez fell to the ground.
DETECTIVE D. BACA
Detective Baca was part of the robbery unit doing surveillance around 217 60 th
Street in hope of arresting Marquez. Detective Baca heard that Marquez was running. Detective Baca helped establish a perimeter around Marquez by stationing himself north of the field. Detective Brown could see Marquez from behind and observed him holding a bag and thought there might be a shotgun concealed in the bag. Detective Baca told Marquez to drop the bag. Detective Baca also heard Detective Juarez call to Marquez, which made Marquez increasingly agitated and he refused to drop the weapon. Detective Baca heard Marquez manipulate the weapon, and Detective Dosel transmitted over the radio that she heard Marquez chamber a round. Detective Baca then heard Marquez say, He was ready to die and he would take people with him. Detective Baca heard SWAT units arrive. Detective Baca was moving when he heard two shots and Marquez fell to the ground.
OFFICER PERDUES STATEMENT (SHOOTING OFFICER):
Officer Perdue, a member of Albuquerque Police Department SWAT unit, arrived at the scene in uniform and in an unmarked police unit. Officer Perdue heard over the radio that a suspect was armed with a long rifle and that the weapon had been racked. (Racked means a bullet was cycled into the chamber of the gun in preparation to fire the weapon.) Officer Perdue saw Marquez in an open field with a bag in his hands, holding it like a rifle. Officer Perdue set up behind Marquez and behind a fence that provided concealment. He was able to place the barrel of his Colt M4LE rifle through an opening in the fence so that he could fire the weapon if that became necessary. 5 Officer Perdue could see and hear Mr. Marquez. Mr. Marquez attention was directed toward a white SUV where two Albuquerque Police Department detectives where taking cover and talking to Mr. Marquez. Officer Perdue first noticed that Mr. Marquez had the gun pointed in a downward direction. Officer Perdue thought that Mr. Marquez was going to give up based on his body language. All of a sudden, Mr. Marquez started yelling at the detectives behind the white SUV and raised his gun toward the detectives. Officer Perdue explains in his statement that detectives had insufficient cover behind the SUV when faced with an AK47. Officer Perdue was also concerned about people in the residential area. Officer Perdue believed Mr. Marquez was about to fire his weapon and shot Mr. Marquez. Mr. Marquez did not go down immediately after the first shot. Officer Perdue, believing he missed, fired a second round that stuck Mr. Marquez in the head.
CIVILIAN WITNESSES:
ALEJANDRA HERNANDEZ (Marquez girlfriend and mother of his children)
Alejandra Hernandez refused to give a statement to police officers. If the grand jury investigative process was still in effect, the District Attorneys Office would have compelled Alejandra Hernandez testimony before a grand jury. Alejandra Hernandez is not accused of committing a crime or involved in any crime and would not have a 5 th
Amendment right not to testify before the grand jury.
DANIEL MEDINA
Daniel Medina was inside the house located on the south end of the open field in which Marquez was stopped by police. Medina witnessed a male subject run into the field. He watched as a white SUV stopped and detectives exited the vehicle and ran to the rear. Medina witnessed the male subject hold a bag and point it toward detectives. Medina stated he did not see the gun, but that the male was holding the bag like a gun. Medina saw the male pointing the bag at the detectives the whole time. Medina could hear parts of the conversation between Marquez and the detectives. Marquez stated, Im not afraid to die, and, You dont know what happened. Medina saw a female approach the detectives behind the SUV. Marquez tried to talk to the female. Medina stated Marquez squatted down and then Medina heard two shots and Marquez fell to the ground.
GRINDELIA ESCOBAR AND KEVIN ESCOBAR
The Escobars recorded the incident on a cell phone. Their home can be seen in (Exhibit 8) as the home in the middle of the field. See the criminalistics report (attached) for a description of the contents of the video.
G. Escobar stated that she saw Marquez holding a bag like a gun and was facing officers. (See Exhibits 5, 6, and 7.) 6
K. Escobar stated that he saw Marquez in the field holding what he thought was a gun, covered in a bag. K. Escobar stated the weapon was pointed at the police officers. (See Exhibits 5, 6, and 7.)
CRIMINALISTICS REPORT-CSI
Crime scene investigation showed that Mr. Marquez had an AK47 in his possession with one round in the chamber. (See Exhibit 1 and 2.) The AK47 was wrapped in a duffle bag. (See Exhibit 3). Projectile fragments were collected from OMI. Officer Perdue left his .223 caliber rifle behind for the crime scene unit to collect. Two shell casings from the .223 where found next to the rifle where Officer Perdue was positioned. (See Exhibit 4.) One cell phone was collected from a family inside the single house in the middle of the open field. A male member of the family recorded the incident on the cell phone. The first video shows both Detectives Michaud and Lowe taking cover behind a SUV. (See Exhibit 7.) Both detectives have their guns out and in a low ready position. Detectives can be heard telling Marquez to put the bag down. A female family member can be heard saying, He has a gun! and the male states, He has a gun in the bag! A second video shows Marquez standing while holding the rifle/bag at his hip and pointing it toward the SUV. A third video shows Marquez in a kneeling position, pointing the rifle toward the SUV. (See Exhibit 5 and 6.) Marquez voice became agitated and he shouted to Alejandra and detectives. (Alejandra is Marquez girlfriend and the mother of his children.) On the video, the first shot by Officer Perdue can be heard. It apparently startles the male taking the video with his cell phone and then a second shot is fired. The next scene shows Marquez on the ground. The video also shows SWAT and rescue personnel approaching Marquez. A photographic overview of the scene shows Marquez location in relationship to the white SUV, Officer Perdues position and where the civilian taking the video was located. (See Exhibit 8)
BALLISTICS REPORT Two shell casings collected from the scene were fired from Officer Perdues Colt M4LE .223 rifle. The projectile fragments collected from OMI were consistent with coming from Officer Perdues weapon. The AK47 taken from Michael Marquez functioned normally and safely.
AUTOPSY
An autopsy was performed on Michael Marquez by Dr. Andrews of the New Mexico Office of Medical Investigator (OMI), who identified two wound tracks. One wound was to the right upper chest. The wound track was front to back, right to left and downward going through both lungs and the heart. A second wound was on top of Michaels head. Wound trajectory was back to front slightly right to left and downward going through the brain, fracturing the skull, through the roof of the mouth and stopping at the left neck. Projectile fragments where collected from both wound tracks. Cause of 7 death was from multiple gunshot wounds. The head wound was immediately fatal. The wound to the chest would have been fatal as well within a short amount of time. Blood tests, taken at the time of the autopsy, were analyzed by a toxicology laboratory and revealed a very high level of methamphetamine in Marquez blood. OMI concluded that Marquez cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds, and his manner of death was homicide.
FAMILY INPUT
A letter was sent on February 25, 2013, to last known address of Marquez mother. On March 18, 2013, contact was made by phone with Teresa Marquez. She explained that she believed Michael Marquez was shot three times. Teresa Marquez was upset that the police would not let her talk to her son during the stand off. Teresa Marquez was also concerned about the officers using a flash bang on Michael Marquez after he was dead.
POTENTIAL CHARGES AGAINST MARQUEZ
If Marquez had been arrested without incident for the crimes committed during the three armed robbery cases listed in Exhibit 12, he would likely have faced the following charges: charges:
1. Armed Robbery (3 counts), 2 of those counts with a Firearm Enhancement 2. Kidnapping (2 nd degree) with a Firearm Enhancement 3. Aggravated Burglary 4. Aggravated Battery (Great Bodily Harm) 5. Felon in Possession of a Firearm (2 counts)
If Marquez had taken the same actions as described in the report, but survived the shooting, the following additional charges would have been appropriate:
1. Aggravated battery on a peace officer with Firearm Enhancements (2 counts) for pointing his AK47 towards the two detectives in a threatening manner. 2. Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Additionally, a 4 year Habitual Offender penalty could be added to any felony he might be convicted of at trial.
FACTUAL CONCLUSIONS BY THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE
On August 30, 2011, the Albuquerque Police Department was working to apprehend Michael Marquez. Marquez was wanted for several armed robberies and a warrant had been issued for his arrest. Michael Marquez was most likely aware that 8 police were looking for him since this information had been widely distributed in the media. Comments he made to other people both before and during the stand-off with police, together with his recent purchase of the AK47, further suggest that he knew he was wanted by police and prepared to make a stand and resist efforts to arrest him. Marquez exited the residence at 217 60th Street and ran into an open field where he was confronted by Albuquerque Police Department detectives. Marquez was armed with an AK47 assault rifle which he had just retrieved from an outside shed at the residence, and then refused orders to drop his weapon. During the stand-off, SWAT was dispatched to the area for assistance. Officer Perdue was aware of Michael Marquez fleeing with an AK47 in a residential area. Although police repeatedly ordered Marquez to put down the weapon, he seemed to become increasingly angry and raised his weapon toward two detectives who had inadequate cover for protection. Officer Perdue, fearing that one or both of the two detectives and civilians in the area were in grave danger, shot Michael Marquez twice, killing him.
LEGAL ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION
Applicable law:
In New Mexico, criminal liability is established only if it is proved beyond a reasonable doubt that someone has committed all the elements of an offense defined by New Mexico Statute, and that the offense was committed without any statutorily defined justification or excuse. While knowingly or intentionally shooting or causing injury or death to another human being is generally prohibited as aggravated battery or murder in New Mexico, the New Mexico Statutes specify certain circumstances in which the use of physical force or deadly physical force is justified. As there is generally no dispute that the officer in an Officer-Involved Shooting intended to shoot at the person who is wounded or killed, thus the determination of whether the conduct was criminal is primarily a question of whether there was legal justification for the officers actions. The New Mexico statutes provide that the use of deadly force is justified by anyone, including peace officers, in the following situations:
NMSA, Section 30-2-7 Justifiable homicide by citizen
Homicide is justifiable when committed by any person in any of the following cases: A. when committed in the necessary defense of his life, his family or his property, or in necessarily defending against any unlawful action directed against himself, his wife or family; B. when committed in the lawful defense of himself or of another and when there is a reasonable ground to believe a design exists to commit a felony or to do some great personal injury against such person or another, and there is imminent danger that the design will be accomplished; or C. when necessarily committed in attempting, by lawful ways and means, to apprehend any person for any felony committed in his presence, or in lawfully 9 suppressing any riot, or in necessarily and lawfully keeping and preserving the peace.
The question presented in cases where self defense or defense of another is raised is whether, at the instant the person fired the shot(s) that wounded or killed another, the person reasonably believed, and actually believed that he or another person was in imminent danger of great bodily harm or death from the actions of the person who was shot. In order to establish criminal responsibility for knowingly or intentionally shooting another, the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person doing the shooting either did not really believe he or another was in imminent danger, or, if he did hold such belief, that belief was, in light of the circumstances, unreasonable.
In addition to the above statute, New Mexico law also states that homicide by a peace officer is legally justified under the following circumstances:
NMSA, Section 30-2-6 Justifiable homicide by public officer or public employee
A. Homicide is justifiable when committed by a public officer or public employee or those acting by their command and in their aid or assistance; (1) in obedience to any judgment of a competent court; (2) when necessarily committed in overcoming actual resistance to the execution of some legal process or to the discharge of any other legal duty; (3) when necessarily committed in retaking felons who have been rescued or who have escaped or when necessarily committed in arresting felons fleeing from justice; or (4) when necessarily committed in order to prevent the escape of a felon from any place of lawful custody or confinement.
B. For the purposes of this section, homicide is necessarily committed when a public officer or public employee has probable cause to believe he or another is threatened with serious harm or deadly force while performing those lawful duties described in this section. Whenever feasible, a public officer or employee should give warning prior to using deadly force.
New Mexico courts have found that Section 30-2-6(B) is intended to provide a police officer a wider scope of privilege than the general public with regard to use of deadly force. A police officer may be legally justified in using deadly force in a variety of situations that would not necessarily apply to self-defense and the ordinary citizen. Police officer justifiable homicide is sufficiently different from self-defense or defense of others. For example, private citizens ordinarily cannot be the aggressor in order to claim self- defense. However, a police officer may sometimes have a lawful duty to be the aggressor in the course of fulfilling his or her responsibilities to the public. This is another reason why justifiable homicide is different from simple self-defense by a citizen. State v. Mantelli, 131 N.M. 692, 42 P.3d 272 (2002).
10 In determining whether a police officers use of force was reasonable is heavily fact dependant. According to the United States Supreme Court, the standard for a police officer is a reasonable standard that requires careful attention to the facts and circumstances of each particular case, including the severity of the crime at issue, whether the suspect poses an immediate threat to the safety of the officers or others and whether he is actively resisting arrest or attempting to evade arrest by flight. Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. at 396, 109 S.Ct. 1865 (1989). The reasonableness of a particular use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene rather than with 20/20 vision of hindsight. Id. It also must be remembered that the perspective of the officer is often made in a split-second decision and in difficult situations about what force is necessary. Archuleta v LaCuesta, 1999-NMCA-113, 128 N.M. 13, 988 P.2d 883 (1999).
Justifiable homicide is necessarily committed when a public officer has probable cause to believe he or another is threatened with serious harm or deadly force while performing lawful duties, State v. Mantelli, Supra. For there to be probable cause, the facts must be such as would warrant a belief by a reasonable officer based upon the expertise and experience of the officer. State v. Mantelli, Id.
Probable cause, a standard required for a case to be presented to a target grand jury or proceed to preliminary hearing, means the evidence presented would cause a reasonable person to believe that an offense has been committed and that the accused committed the offense. Probable cause does not require proof beyond a reasonable doubt. New Mexico Uniform Jury Instruction 14-8006.
LEGAL ANALYSIS
Under the facts of the present case, the question to be answered is whether Officer Perdues action in using deadly force against Marquez was justified under either NMSA Section 30-2-7, Justifiable homicide by citizen, or Section 30-2-6, Justifiable homicide by public officer or public employee. It appears clear that Officer Perdue was performing the lawful duties of a peace officer at the time of this shooting. Justifiable homicide by public officer or public employee is most applicable to these facts. The questions to be answered therefore are: 1) Was Officer Perdues action in shooting Marquez based upon his actual belief that he was in danger of imminent death or great bodily harm or a third person(s) was in danger of imminent death or great bodily harm (Detective Lowe and Detective Michaud); and 2) Was Officer Perdues fear of imminent death or great bodily harm for a third person (Detective Lowe and Detective Michaud) reasonable in light of all the circumstances.
CONCLUSION:
It is the conclusion of this office that there is no probable cause to charge Officer Perdue with any crime in connection with the death of Michael Marquez. Thorough analysis of available evidence indicates that Officer Perdue shot in defense of another (Detective Lowe and Detective Michaud). According to his statement to police 11 detectives, Officer Perdue actually feared great bodily injury or death for Detectives Lowe and Michaud when Marquez pointed an AK47 at them, knowing they had insufficient cover. Officer Perdue had to make a split-second decision and his decision was to use deadly force in defense of the lives of others. In our opinion, it was reasonable for someone in Officer Perdues situation to have acted as he did to meet this perceived threat under the circumstances of this case.
The Second Judicial District Attorney therefore finds the shooting was justified under the criminal laws of the State of New Mexico, (See Section 30-2-6 NMSA 1978,) and will not pursue criminal charges against Officer Perdue.
12 REPORTS AND EXHIBIT ATTACHMENTS
1. Photograph of AK47
2. Photograph of round removed from chamber of AK47
3. Photograph at scene of AK47 in a white and blue bag
4. Photograph at scene of Officer Perdues guns and casings
5. Still shot from video taken by civilian witness showing Marquez
6. Still shot from video taken by civilian witness showing Marquez
7. Still shot from video taken by civilian witness of white SUV with Alejandra Hernandez off to right
8. Photograph overhead of scene with locations of parties
9. Supplemental Report prepared by Detective Darcy McDermeit
10. Criminalistics Report prepared by Rashai Hatfield
11. Transcript of Officer Perdues statement to investigators
12. Supp out for armed robbery cases prepared by Detective Chris Juarez
13. Portion of Autopsy Report, including toxicology report
14. Rap Eval prepared by Priors Section of the DAs Office