APD officer in collision identified

Crash injured officer and mother and 2 children in other vehicle

The Albuquerque Police Department has identified the officer who crashed into a vehicle while responding to a call Monday, seriously injuring a mother and her two children, as Johnathan McDonnell, a nine-year veteran on the force.

“Officer McDonnell has serious injuries, including a broken femur, and is still in the hospital under sedation,” APD spokeswoman Celina Espinoza said Wednesday night.

She said McDonnell was hired in 2008 and is assigned to patrol in the Foothills Area Command.

On Monday, shortly after 6 p.m., McDonnell was responding to a call about a man armed with a machete at a nearby Albertsons grocery store, police said. He was heading north on Eubank, with his police lights on, when a woman driving a black Ford hatchback turned left onto Indian School NE.

The police cruiser collided with the woman’s vehicle, which spun several times before smashing into a nearby light pole. The cruiser came to a

stop facing the wrong direction about 50 feet away.

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office is the lead investigative agency for the crash.

The office has not released any information on the condition of the children, except to say they were stabilized and transferred to the intensive care unit Tuesday.

Felicia Romero, a BCSO spokeswoman, said they will not be releasing any information about the crash at this time, and instead asked the media to file records requests once the investigation is complete. It’s unclear when the investigation will be finished.

APD spokespersons have not responded to questions about the call McDonnell was responding to, including whether the armed man was taken into custody. They also didn’t respond to questions about whether police chief Gorden Eden would like to release a statement about the crash.

Espinoza on Wednesday said, “We are asking for your continued thoughts and prayers for both families during this very difficult time.”