Injured APD officer announces run for sheriff
Lou Golson was shot multiple times in 2015 during a DWI traffic stop
A former Albuquerque police officer shot and injured in the line of duty has announced his bid for county sheriff.
Lou Golson, who was shot multiple times in 2015, plans to file as a Republican candidate for Bernalillo County Sheriff later this year. Depending on whether or not there are other candidates, that would put Golson against Sheriff Manuel Gonzales, a Democrat who was elected in 2014. Candidates will file their intent to run in March and the general election is in November.
In an interview, Golson said he’ll bring several policy changes to the position. Golson favors having deputies use some type of cameras — either on-body cameras, dashboard cameras or a combination.
Sheriff’s deputies don’t use on-body cameras and most deputies don’t have dashboard cameras. Gonzales hasn’t pushed for the office to incorporate the technology, even though several community groups and civil rights attorneys have called on the sheriff’s office to use them in the wake of a spate of deputy shootings last year. Most Albuquerque police officers use on-body cameras.
“I see no reason not to use them. My shooting was
on video,” Golson said. “It’s more of a transparency and community trust issue. The community comes first. They have to trust your department. And if you’re not keeping up with the standards, the national standard anymore is that you are going to have some sort of video, either on your body or in your car, that’s only right. Hell, we’re in the 21st century. There’s video everywhere.”
Gonzales didn’t return a call for comment about Golson’s intent to run.
Golson served in the Air Force before joining Albuquerque police in 1984. He retired in 2004 and then rejoined Albuquerque police through a return-to-work program. He was ultimately assigned to the DWI unit, where in January 2015 Golson was shot multiple times by a car thief after stopping the suspected drunken driver.
Golson eventually returned to light duty until he retired in December 2016.
Golson said he never considered running for sheriff until the idea was suggested to him during his recovery.
“I was happy doing what I was doing. But when things change you have a change of ideas,” he said.
Golson is married and has five children, three of whom also work in law enforcement.
“They think I’m nuts,” he said of his run for sheriff.
But Golson said despite needing to manage pain as a result of the shooting, he’s healthy enough for the position.
He said he’ll work to reduce response times by hiring more service aides, who can direct traffic and do other things to free up deputies for more pressing matters. Or he said he’ll also look at drafting a memorandum of understanding with Albuquerque police and New Mexico State Police so they can share manpower after one agency has a critical incident.
On his website, Golson said that all lawabiding immigrants, “legal or not,” have a right to be in the country. He said the sheriff’s office will never ask about a person’s immigration status.