COP RECOUNTS ABQ INCIDENT
ABQ officer describes frightening Downtown riot
Officer says city protest quickly turned ugly.
I am a police officer, and will likely be disciplined for this, but it has to be said. What happened to George Floyd was an absolutely tragedy, criminal in my opinion, and should have never happened, period.
I was called into work on May 31 early due to numerous incidents which had occurred earlier in the day, and the expected rallies and protests to take place throughout the day and into the evening, in response to the tragedy in Minnesota. I listened to radio traffic for the protests and marches and was relieved to hear that everything had remained mostly peaceful, leaving me with some semblance of hope going into the evening.
I ended up at the aftermath of an active shooter, was dispatched to multiple vehicle crashes, one of which ended the life of a young woman, but my shift ended with a dispatch into Downtown Albuquerque. The original call was individuals breaking out windows of businesses with hammers but quickly escalated into what was described as an elderly male having been beaten and was down on a sidewalk near Second Street and Central Avenue.
Four other officers and I moved into the area in our vehicles. We were able to get as far as Central Avenue between Second and Third streets before being blocked by around 100 individuals and even more vehicles, some of which were doing donuts in the intersection. Our plan was to dismount our vehicles and locate a potential victim on foot. Unfortunately, we were met by an unruly crowd, screaming obscenities and chants in our direction and physically blocking our path. We attempted to ask people in the area if they knew of anyone who had been injured, but were only met with further aggression and dozens of people walking toward us yelling and screaming for “justice,” at which point the decision was made to get into our vehicles and attempt to approach from another route.
Another officer and I were slowed in backing out of the area by people who would stand and walk behind his vehicle, effectively boxing us into the area, as numerous individuals began hurling objects at our vehicles. It was later discovered that both of our vehicles’ windows were shot with what was likely a BB-gun. I saw people throwing handfuls of large rocks at my car, before one individual catapulted a large chunk of concrete. The concrete struck my driver’s side window, shattering the window, and ending up in the center console of my vehicle. I’m not entirely sure how the brick did not strike me in the head, or how I escaped major injury, but I am thankful I was able to come home to my wife.
I want you to imagine for a moment, you’re inside of a vehicle, with nowhere to go and dozens of people throwing objects at your car, one of which shatters a window, spraying glass over your face, hands and arms. All of this is happening simply because of what is written on the side of your company vehicle.
If you were the individual who threw the rock through my window, or just one of the dozens standing by, recording video with you cell phone, how would you feel if I was your father, brother, uncle or cousin? Politicians will say what they need to gain votes and win their respective elections, media outlets will publish what they need to gain readership/viewership and sell advertising, but it is up to us, as individuals, to direct the narrative and steer society toward healing and unity. Regardless of your view of law enforcement, we are as human and individual as you.