By T.J. Wilham And Julie Medina, Journal Staff Writers
An off-duty Albuquerque police officer was involved in a fatal shooting that left his "stepfather," Kirk Carroll, dead in his doorway Tuesday night, police said.
Investigators suspect that Carroll, 48, was struggling with Officer Orlando Camacho for control of the officer's service-issued weapon when it discharged.
Carroll is being described to investigators as Camacho's "stepfather," said John Walsh, an Albuquerque police spokesman.
Walsh said investigators are trying to confirm the information but have yet to find official documents that verify the relationship.
According to tax records, the South Valley home, 1716 Desert Breeze SW, is owned by the two men.
Neighbors said Wednesday that Carroll and Camacho appeared to be father and son.
Camacho wasn't scheduled to work his normal shift and investigators are trying to determine why he was in uniform at the time of the shooting.
Within hours of the shooting, Camacho, a three-year member of the department, was placed on administrative leave and released from police custody. He did give a statement to investigators.
"This case is being investigated just like any other. We are making sure that this investigation is conducted with the utmost integrity," Police Chief Ray Schultz said. "This is not an officer-involved shooting. This is a shooting involving someone who is an officer."
Police said they would submit the investigation to the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office, which will decide whether charges will be filed.
According to police, at 11:05 p.m., Camacho called on his radio that he needed an ambulance and a rescue unit sent to his home for an "emergency situation."
When rescue crews arrived, they found Carroll dead, lying in the doorway.
Investigators said Camacho had just pulled into the driveway in his squad car and within minutes got into an argument with Carroll over "life issues," Walsh said.
Walsh said the dispute had been brewing over a long time.
The argument eventually turned into a struggle for the gun, police said. Investigators don't know if Camacho drew the weapon.
Walsh said tests will be done to determine who was in control of the gun when it fired.
"It is so preliminary in the investigation right now," Walsh said.
Neighbor Christine Shugars said occasionally she could hear Carroll yelling at Camacho.
"He wasn't nice to his son," Shugars said.
She said when she asked Carroll to join the neighborhood association he was "rude" and told her he didn't care what happens in the neighborhood.
"He just flat wasn't the friendliest," she said.
However, Shugars' daughter, Trudy McKenzie, said Camacho is known around the area to be "pretty friendly."
She said when one neighbor came home and found her house had been broken into, Camacho checked out the home to make sure it was safe for her.
Another neighbor, Irene Ornelas, said the two men were frequently outside working on the yard or the home and appeared friendly.
"Whenever we passed by (Carroll) would smile or nod," she said.
None of the neighbors said they heard anything late Tuesday beside fireworks and a lightning storm.
About five hours before the incident, Joshua Thomas was arriving at a friend's home just a few homes away from where the shooting occurred.
As he passed the home, he saw Carroll standing outside, wearing beige pants and a white T-shirt.
"I waved to him," Thomas said. "He waved back."
Camacho was in uniform and driving off in his squad car, Thomas said.
"He didn't look disturbed," he said.
Gary E. Salazar of the Journal contributed to this report.
Thursday, July 6, 2006
Monday, May 22, 2006
APD Officer Involved In Fatal Crash
Monday, May 22, 2006
By Miguel Navrot and Jeff Proctor
Journal Staff Writers
An Albuquerque grandmother sitting at a picnic table with family members died early Sunday after a police car crashed through a cinder-block wall, pinning the 73-year-old against the table.
Flora Aragon had been in the front yard of the family home around midnight, enjoying the cool air and chatting with her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend when the squad car slammed onto the property.
Crash Kills Grandma
Lucas Coshenet/Journal
Shantel Perez looks at the shrine placed in honor of her grandmother Flora Aragon, 73.
The crash killed Aragon and injured the other two.
But it is the police's handling of the crash, which happened on Crestview SW near West Central and 53rd Street, that family members talked about most Sunday.
As they gathered for a candlelight vigil for Aragon, they pointed out the dried blood stains on the picnic table.
"The police department's not telling us anything," said Denise Baker, one of Aragon's 29 grandchildren. "They're not offering condolences. They're being rude to us, like we're the criminals here."
A multi-agency group is investigating the crash, which involved a rookie officer identified as Zachariah Floyd, 23, Albuquerque police spokesman John Walsh said. Much of that investigation is expected to be completed this week.
"This is a tragedy, just an absolute tragedy," Walsh said Sunday. "The officer is extraordinarily upset over the events and, obviously, so, too, is the family of the victim."
The crash happened as police answered a domestic violence call in the West Side neighborhood.
Floyd, responding to the call, was preparing to park his squad car when another vehicle veered alongside, Walsh said. Floyd steered sharply, struck a curb and drove through the 2-foot high cinder-block fence.
The impact struck Aragon from behind, family said, pinning her between the car and the wooden picnic table.
The crash also injured her daughter Tonnie Sanchez, 52, of Albuquerque and Sanchez's boyfriend, Ismael Villalobo, 39.
Rescuers took Aragon to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
An inter-agency team composed of Albuquerque police, Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office and State Police is investigating the crash, Walsh said.
The local District Attorney's Office is expected to oversee and review the investigation.
Floyd is on three-day paid administrative, pending the investigation, Walsh said.
Neither alcohol nor speed appears to have been a factor in the crash, Walsh said. Authorities took breath and blood tests from Floyd after the crash.
"We've done breath tests and a blood draw, which is standard on all fatals," Walsh said. "In any event, neither of the two factors appears to have been present at the onset of this investigation. It is, however, still ongoing."
Walsh noted that the airbags on Floyd's cruiser didn't deploy. A deployed airbag can indicate high speed.
Walsh said it is "very unlikely" Floyd will face a vehicular homicide charge. He added that, for such a case to be made, the driver must either have been intoxicated or driving recklessly at the time of the crash.
Aragon's family disputed the contention that Floyd wasn't driving recklessly. The cinder-block wall that was toppled in the crash was reinforced with metal rebar, family said.
Further, they said, flying debris punched at least two holes in the home, one through an exterior wall and another through the wood door.
"We left this here because it tells a story," Baker said of the blood-stained picnic table, which authorities cut through to extract Aragon.
Baker said another granddaughter of Aragon's who arrived at the home after the accident was tackled by police after she started taking photos of the scene. Officers confiscated the camera and hadn't returned it as of Sunday night, Baker said.
"We feel the cops are covering up the incident a little bit," Baker said. Other family members agreed.
Baker did have compliments, however, for a violent crimes detective who personally offered flowers, condolences and assistance with memorial services.
On Sunday, as debris and fallen plants covered the crash site, family placed fresh flowers and photographs of Aragon next to the shattered picnic table. Photos included snapshots and portraits from when she was 10 years old through this past New Year's.
Aragon came to Albuquerque in 1965 from Del Norte, Colo., a town in the San Luis Valley. She had six children.
A parishioner of St. Therese of the Little Flower Church, Aragon retired as an inspector for Honeywell in Albuquerque, family said.
Services are pending.
By Miguel Navrot and Jeff Proctor
Journal Staff Writers
An Albuquerque grandmother sitting at a picnic table with family members died early Sunday after a police car crashed through a cinder-block wall, pinning the 73-year-old against the table.
Flora Aragon had been in the front yard of the family home around midnight, enjoying the cool air and chatting with her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend when the squad car slammed onto the property.
Crash Kills Grandma
Lucas Coshenet/Journal
Shantel Perez looks at the shrine placed in honor of her grandmother Flora Aragon, 73.
The crash killed Aragon and injured the other two.
But it is the police's handling of the crash, which happened on Crestview SW near West Central and 53rd Street, that family members talked about most Sunday.
As they gathered for a candlelight vigil for Aragon, they pointed out the dried blood stains on the picnic table.
"The police department's not telling us anything," said Denise Baker, one of Aragon's 29 grandchildren. "They're not offering condolences. They're being rude to us, like we're the criminals here."
A multi-agency group is investigating the crash, which involved a rookie officer identified as Zachariah Floyd, 23, Albuquerque police spokesman John Walsh said. Much of that investigation is expected to be completed this week.
"This is a tragedy, just an absolute tragedy," Walsh said Sunday. "The officer is extraordinarily upset over the events and, obviously, so, too, is the family of the victim."
The crash happened as police answered a domestic violence call in the West Side neighborhood.
Floyd, responding to the call, was preparing to park his squad car when another vehicle veered alongside, Walsh said. Floyd steered sharply, struck a curb and drove through the 2-foot high cinder-block fence.
The impact struck Aragon from behind, family said, pinning her between the car and the wooden picnic table.
The crash also injured her daughter Tonnie Sanchez, 52, of Albuquerque and Sanchez's boyfriend, Ismael Villalobo, 39.
Rescuers took Aragon to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
An inter-agency team composed of Albuquerque police, Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office and State Police is investigating the crash, Walsh said.
The local District Attorney's Office is expected to oversee and review the investigation.
Floyd is on three-day paid administrative, pending the investigation, Walsh said.
Neither alcohol nor speed appears to have been a factor in the crash, Walsh said. Authorities took breath and blood tests from Floyd after the crash.
"We've done breath tests and a blood draw, which is standard on all fatals," Walsh said. "In any event, neither of the two factors appears to have been present at the onset of this investigation. It is, however, still ongoing."
Walsh noted that the airbags on Floyd's cruiser didn't deploy. A deployed airbag can indicate high speed.
Walsh said it is "very unlikely" Floyd will face a vehicular homicide charge. He added that, for such a case to be made, the driver must either have been intoxicated or driving recklessly at the time of the crash.
Aragon's family disputed the contention that Floyd wasn't driving recklessly. The cinder-block wall that was toppled in the crash was reinforced with metal rebar, family said.
Further, they said, flying debris punched at least two holes in the home, one through an exterior wall and another through the wood door.
"We left this here because it tells a story," Baker said of the blood-stained picnic table, which authorities cut through to extract Aragon.
Baker said another granddaughter of Aragon's who arrived at the home after the accident was tackled by police after she started taking photos of the scene. Officers confiscated the camera and hadn't returned it as of Sunday night, Baker said.
"We feel the cops are covering up the incident a little bit," Baker said. Other family members agreed.
Baker did have compliments, however, for a violent crimes detective who personally offered flowers, condolences and assistance with memorial services.
On Sunday, as debris and fallen plants covered the crash site, family placed fresh flowers and photographs of Aragon next to the shattered picnic table. Photos included snapshots and portraits from when she was 10 years old through this past New Year's.
Aragon came to Albuquerque in 1965 from Del Norte, Colo., a town in the San Luis Valley. She had six children.
A parishioner of St. Therese of the Little Flower Church, Aragon retired as an inspector for Honeywell in Albuquerque, family said.
Services are pending.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Birthday plans end in fatal crash
by Megan Arredondo
Tribune Reporter
Sunday, May 21, 2006
It was just after midnight, and 74-year-old Flora Aragon was getting ready to bake a birthday cake for a granddaughter who was turning 10 that day.
Aragon sat at a wooden picnic table early Sunday in her front lawn at 5208 Crestview Place S.W. with daughter Tonnie Sanchez and her daughter's friend Ismael Villalobo, the eggs and cake decorations in front of her.
She never got to make the cake.
Albuquerque police Officer Zachariah Floyd, 23 and a rookie of less than a year, crashed his cruiser through a low cinder-block wall surrounding Aragon's home and into the three.
Sanchez, 52, said she and Villalobo were thrown several yards.
Her mother was not so lucky.
The vehicle hit her from behind and pinned her against the picnic table and bench.
"My mom didn't even see it coming," Sanchez said.
Aragon died after being transported to University of New Mexico Hospital, police said.
John Walsh, spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department, said Floyd was responding to a domestic violence call in the 200 block of 53rd Street Southwest when the crash occurred.
Floyd was traveling south on 53rd Street and was passing another southbound vehicle when the other driver turned left, into his path, Walsh said.
It forced Floyd to veer into Aragon's yard, Walsh said.
The officer did not have emergency lights or sirens on when the crash occurred, but that is common practice when approaching a domestic violence disturbance, Walsh said.
While the investigation continues, it doesn't appear Floyd was speeding because his car's air bag did not inflate in the crash, Walsh said. Floyd was not injured in the crash, Walsh said.
Sanchez said Floyd didn't immediately try to help her or her mother.
"I laid there on that (patio) floor in pain for 45 minutes before anyone came to me," Sanchez said. "It took them forever."
Walsh, however, said rescue units arrived within four minutes of the call.
Sanchez suffered lacerations on her leg and thigh and required stitches for a cut on her arm. Villalobo had minor cuts on his head, lip and back, she said.
Meanwhile, Aragon remained pinned in front of her home.
Family members say emergency respondents didn't come prepared, lacking equipment that could've expedited the rescue.
"They were yanking her (Aragon) by the arm," said Eva Marie Candelaria, one of Aragon's grandchildren.
Emergency workers eventually cut apart the wooden table that pinned her, Candelaria said.
On Sunday afternoon, more than half a day after the crash, pieces of the table and bench still lay in front of the house like a bloodied jigsaw puzzle. Broken cinder block was strewn across the front yard, some of the pieces marked with dried blood.
A makeshift memorial of flowers, candles and photographs were placed amid the rubble where Aragon was trapped.
"She was a wonderful person," son Alvin Aragon said. "A wonderful mother."
His mother built the bench and table set she was pinned against, he said, along with the wooden fences on the side of her home.
Granddaughter Denise Baker said Aragon lived for her family.
"Life without one of her kids was not life," Baker said. "Family was everything."
She said she was devastated when she got the phone call that her grandmother had died.
"I could feel everything in my body leave," she said wearing a T-shirt stained with her grandmother's blood. "We were all in shock; it still hasn't settled in. We're still waiting for her to get up."
The most upsetting part for Baker and other family members was the way police treated them, she said.
Baker said police confiscated a camera one family member was using to photograph the crash scene.
She also said police called in the crash as "bravo," meaning injuries were minor, rather than "delta," which meant there were serious injuries. As a result, Baker said, the emergency crew was unprepared for what it found.
"Who's to say what would've happened if it was done properly," Baker said. "They were more concerned about getting the officer, who didn't have any injuries, out."
Walsh said Albuquerque police don't differentiate when they report a wreck with injuries.
A second officer arrived at the scene shortly after the crash and called for aid, Walsh said. "You couldn't have any faster response" than occurred, he said.
Walsh said the crash is under investigation by a team consisting of representatives from the Police Department, State Police, Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department and the District Attorney's Office.
Floyd has been put on paid administrative leave for 72 hours while the investigation is being conducted, he said.
Baker said the family is looking for an apology from the Police Department.
"We want some respect," she said. "They took her life and walked away like they did nothing wrong. . . . They're supposed to be there to serve and protect. Well, they didn't serve and protect her."
Tribune Reporter
Sunday, May 21, 2006
It was just after midnight, and 74-year-old Flora Aragon was getting ready to bake a birthday cake for a granddaughter who was turning 10 that day.
Aragon sat at a wooden picnic table early Sunday in her front lawn at 5208 Crestview Place S.W. with daughter Tonnie Sanchez and her daughter's friend Ismael Villalobo, the eggs and cake decorations in front of her.
She never got to make the cake.
Albuquerque police Officer Zachariah Floyd, 23 and a rookie of less than a year, crashed his cruiser through a low cinder-block wall surrounding Aragon's home and into the three.
Sanchez, 52, said she and Villalobo were thrown several yards.
Her mother was not so lucky.
The vehicle hit her from behind and pinned her against the picnic table and bench.
"My mom didn't even see it coming," Sanchez said.
Aragon died after being transported to University of New Mexico Hospital, police said.
John Walsh, spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department, said Floyd was responding to a domestic violence call in the 200 block of 53rd Street Southwest when the crash occurred.
Floyd was traveling south on 53rd Street and was passing another southbound vehicle when the other driver turned left, into his path, Walsh said.
It forced Floyd to veer into Aragon's yard, Walsh said.
The officer did not have emergency lights or sirens on when the crash occurred, but that is common practice when approaching a domestic violence disturbance, Walsh said.
While the investigation continues, it doesn't appear Floyd was speeding because his car's air bag did not inflate in the crash, Walsh said. Floyd was not injured in the crash, Walsh said.
Sanchez said Floyd didn't immediately try to help her or her mother.
"I laid there on that (patio) floor in pain for 45 minutes before anyone came to me," Sanchez said. "It took them forever."
Walsh, however, said rescue units arrived within four minutes of the call.
Sanchez suffered lacerations on her leg and thigh and required stitches for a cut on her arm. Villalobo had minor cuts on his head, lip and back, she said.
Meanwhile, Aragon remained pinned in front of her home.
Family members say emergency respondents didn't come prepared, lacking equipment that could've expedited the rescue.
"They were yanking her (Aragon) by the arm," said Eva Marie Candelaria, one of Aragon's grandchildren.
Emergency workers eventually cut apart the wooden table that pinned her, Candelaria said.
On Sunday afternoon, more than half a day after the crash, pieces of the table and bench still lay in front of the house like a bloodied jigsaw puzzle. Broken cinder block was strewn across the front yard, some of the pieces marked with dried blood.
A makeshift memorial of flowers, candles and photographs were placed amid the rubble where Aragon was trapped.
"She was a wonderful person," son Alvin Aragon said. "A wonderful mother."
His mother built the bench and table set she was pinned against, he said, along with the wooden fences on the side of her home.
Granddaughter Denise Baker said Aragon lived for her family.
"Life without one of her kids was not life," Baker said. "Family was everything."
She said she was devastated when she got the phone call that her grandmother had died.
"I could feel everything in my body leave," she said wearing a T-shirt stained with her grandmother's blood. "We were all in shock; it still hasn't settled in. We're still waiting for her to get up."
The most upsetting part for Baker and other family members was the way police treated them, she said.
Baker said police confiscated a camera one family member was using to photograph the crash scene.
She also said police called in the crash as "bravo," meaning injuries were minor, rather than "delta," which meant there were serious injuries. As a result, Baker said, the emergency crew was unprepared for what it found.
"Who's to say what would've happened if it was done properly," Baker said. "They were more concerned about getting the officer, who didn't have any injuries, out."
Walsh said Albuquerque police don't differentiate when they report a wreck with injuries.
A second officer arrived at the scene shortly after the crash and called for aid, Walsh said. "You couldn't have any faster response" than occurred, he said.
Walsh said the crash is under investigation by a team consisting of representatives from the Police Department, State Police, Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department and the District Attorney's Office.
Floyd has been put on paid administrative leave for 72 hours while the investigation is being conducted, he said.
Baker said the family is looking for an apology from the Police Department.
"We want some respect," she said. "They took her life and walked away like they did nothing wrong. . . . They're supposed to be there to serve and protect. Well, they didn't serve and protect her."
Friday, March 31, 2006
Ex-Cop Gets 15 Years in Assaults
By Scott Sandlin , Journal Staff Writer
Ex-cop Christopher Chase, a man who once put people in handcuffs, saw them slipped on his wrists by court officers Thursday after he was sentenced to the maximum possible penalty— 15 years behind bars.
Despite his attorney's request for voluntary surrender, Chase was taken into custody as soon as the sentencing hearing ended— to wails from his family.
Chase, 31, an Albuquerque Police Department officer fired after his indictment on multiple sexual assault and kidnapping charges in June 2003, entered a plea in February acknowledging he could be convicted if he went to trial. The so-called Alford plea was to 10 counts of criminal sexual penetration, kidnapping and other crimes related to six victims.
District Judge Denise Barela Shepherd then found him guilty.
But Chase and family members speaking on his behalf continued to insist his innocence and said he took the plea only to provide some resolution for his young family. His daughters, ages 1 and 4, and his wife, Darla, appeared at the hearing as they have for virtually every court event in the longstanding case.
His wife, who said there were mistakes in the investigation, emotionally threw her arms around Chase before he was ordered to prison.
A succession of victims also offered emotional evocations of their experiences with Chase, whom they never knew before their official encounters with him. The women, some of whom were high school teens at the time the crimes were committed, spoke of the lasting effects of the assaults on them and their families.
Veronica Edwell, pulled over by Chase for an alleged traffic infraction and assaulted, and Marissa Senigo, who was 16 when she was pulled over by Chase in 2002, said they fear police when they see them.
Prosecutor Michael Fricke, urging the maximum penalty, said Chase had figuratively raped the city as well as the individual victims.
Detective Monte Curtis said that, until he investigated, he would never have believed a police officer capable of the assaults. Chase has eroded years of work building relations between police and the community, he said.
Defense attorney Jacquelyn Robins urged Shepherd to sentence Chase to five years in prison and 20 years probation. As an ex-cop, she said, her client will have to remain in protective custody— meaning 23 hours a day in his cell.
She said Chase took the plea despite his desire for a trial because, if he'd been convicted of even one set of incidents in the indictment, he could have faced an even longer sentence.
Ex-cop Christopher Chase, a man who once put people in handcuffs, saw them slipped on his wrists by court officers Thursday after he was sentenced to the maximum possible penalty— 15 years behind bars.
Despite his attorney's request for voluntary surrender, Chase was taken into custody as soon as the sentencing hearing ended— to wails from his family.
Chase, 31, an Albuquerque Police Department officer fired after his indictment on multiple sexual assault and kidnapping charges in June 2003, entered a plea in February acknowledging he could be convicted if he went to trial. The so-called Alford plea was to 10 counts of criminal sexual penetration, kidnapping and other crimes related to six victims.
District Judge Denise Barela Shepherd then found him guilty.
But Chase and family members speaking on his behalf continued to insist his innocence and said he took the plea only to provide some resolution for his young family. His daughters, ages 1 and 4, and his wife, Darla, appeared at the hearing as they have for virtually every court event in the longstanding case.
His wife, who said there were mistakes in the investigation, emotionally threw her arms around Chase before he was ordered to prison.
A succession of victims also offered emotional evocations of their experiences with Chase, whom they never knew before their official encounters with him. The women, some of whom were high school teens at the time the crimes were committed, spoke of the lasting effects of the assaults on them and their families.
Veronica Edwell, pulled over by Chase for an alleged traffic infraction and assaulted, and Marissa Senigo, who was 16 when she was pulled over by Chase in 2002, said they fear police when they see them.
Prosecutor Michael Fricke, urging the maximum penalty, said Chase had figuratively raped the city as well as the individual victims.
Detective Monte Curtis said that, until he investigated, he would never have believed a police officer capable of the assaults. Chase has eroded years of work building relations between police and the community, he said.
Defense attorney Jacquelyn Robins urged Shepherd to sentence Chase to five years in prison and 20 years probation. As an ex-cop, she said, her client will have to remain in protective custody— meaning 23 hours a day in his cell.
She said Chase took the plea despite his desire for a trial because, if he'd been convicted of even one set of incidents in the indictment, he could have faced an even longer sentence.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Former Albuquerque Officer Sentenced in Plea Deal
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Associated Press
A former Albuquerque police officer accused of sexually assaulting and beating motorists was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison.
State District Judge Denise Barela Shepherd sentenced Christopher Chase to 60 years, but suspended all but 15 years — the maximum allowed under a plea deal Chase reached with prosecutors in January. She also sentenced Chase to five years of probation upon his release.
The judge rejected a defense proposal to give him a shorter prison sentence and 20 years of probation.
He had entered Alford pleas to 10 counts involving the alleged attacks, which occurred between 2001 and 2003 while he was a patrolman. Under an Alford plea, the defendant does not admit guilt, but acknowledges prosecutors may have enough evidence for a conviction.
Shepherd said Chase will be put in protective custody in prison because of his law enforcement background.
Assistant District Attorney Michael Fricke said Chase violated the public trust, his uniform and his badge.
"Chase is more than a rapist who rapes victims,'' he said. "He raped the city.''
Several people who spoke on Chase's behalf said he could not have committed the crimes.
"There has never, ever been a doubt in my mind that they have got the wrong man,'' said his wife, Darla.
Chase could have been sentenced to more than 140 years had he been found guilty of all the charges at trial.
Prosecutors accused Chase of randomly selecting vehicles to pull over, then forcing himself on the motorist. The incidents occurred both while Chase was on- and off-duty and while he was using his marked police car.
Chase was fired from the department after he was indicted June 2003 on 32 charges, including five counts of rape and two counts of criminal sexual contact.
The plea agreement includes four counts of rape, three counts of kidnapping, two counts of criminal sexual contact and one count of aggravated battery.
Associated Press
A former Albuquerque police officer accused of sexually assaulting and beating motorists was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison.
State District Judge Denise Barela Shepherd sentenced Christopher Chase to 60 years, but suspended all but 15 years — the maximum allowed under a plea deal Chase reached with prosecutors in January. She also sentenced Chase to five years of probation upon his release.
The judge rejected a defense proposal to give him a shorter prison sentence and 20 years of probation.
He had entered Alford pleas to 10 counts involving the alleged attacks, which occurred between 2001 and 2003 while he was a patrolman. Under an Alford plea, the defendant does not admit guilt, but acknowledges prosecutors may have enough evidence for a conviction.
Shepherd said Chase will be put in protective custody in prison because of his law enforcement background.
Assistant District Attorney Michael Fricke said Chase violated the public trust, his uniform and his badge.
"Chase is more than a rapist who rapes victims,'' he said. "He raped the city.''
Several people who spoke on Chase's behalf said he could not have committed the crimes.
"There has never, ever been a doubt in my mind that they have got the wrong man,'' said his wife, Darla.
Chase could have been sentenced to more than 140 years had he been found guilty of all the charges at trial.
Prosecutors accused Chase of randomly selecting vehicles to pull over, then forcing himself on the motorist. The incidents occurred both while Chase was on- and off-duty and while he was using his marked police car.
Chase was fired from the department after he was indicted June 2003 on 32 charges, including five counts of rape and two counts of criminal sexual contact.
The plea agreement includes four counts of rape, three counts of kidnapping, two counts of criminal sexual contact and one count of aggravated battery.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Ex-APD officer gets 15 years in prison
By Joline Gutierrez Krueger, Albuquerque Tribune
Posted 3:45 p.m. Former Albuquerque police Officer Christopher Chase will spend the next 15 years in prison after being sentenced today for the sexual assaults or beatings he dealt out to seven motorists from 2001 to 2003.
CHASE LAWSUITS
Besides the criminal charges, former Albuquerque police officer Christopher Chase was also named in six lawsuits, filed in federal and state courts.
All cases have been settled, costing the city about $3 million.
State District Judge Denise Barela Shepherd rejected a proposal from Chase's attorneys for a lesser sentence but a 20-year-probation.
Instead, she gave Chase the maximum allowable sentence under terms of a plea agreement signed in January.
And because of his law enforcement background, Chase will be placed in protective custody, Shepherd said. He will spend 23 hours a day in his cell.
The former officer entered Alford pleas in January to 10 counts involving attacks on motorists while he was a patrolman based in the Foothills Area Command.
An Alford plea does not admit guilt but acknowledges that enough evidence exists to convict. In the state's eyes, it is equivalent to a guilty plea.
Prosecutors say Chase randomly selected vehicles to pull over, then forced himself on the motorist, most of whom had not committed any traffic offense. The incidents occurred while Chase was both on- and off-duty, and while he was using his marked police car.
The victims include three women and three teenage girls. The charges also involve a teenage male relative of a high-ranking law enforcement official whom Chase is accused of beating with a flashlight and assaulting with a gun during a traffic stop in September 2002.
Tears flowed freely during the emotional sentencing hearing. Several victims spoke, saying they no longer trusted authorities, including police, and that the assaults had changed their lives forever.
Assistant District Attorney Michael Fricke called Chase a serial rapist. "Chase is more than a rapist who rapes victims," he said. "He raped the city."
The former officer violated the public trust, his uniform and his badge, Fricke said.
Several people spoke on Chase's behalf, denying that he could have committed the crimes.
"There has never, ever been a doubt in my mind that they have got the wrong man," said his wife, Darla.
She then started crying, prompting Chase to cry.
Chase was fired from the Albuquerque Police Department after being indicted in June 2003 on 32 charges, including five counts of rape and two counts of criminal sexual contact.
He was freed on $15,000 bond, but Shepherd in January ordered him into the Community Custody Program, where he was forced to wear an ankle monitor and check in regularly.
Until recently, he had been employed as a foreman for a construction company.
Today the judge denied a request from Chase's attorney, Jacquelyn Robins, that Chase be allowed to turn himself in.
Shepherd ordered him taken into custody immediately. He will need protective custody even during his processing at the Central Mexico Correctional Facility in Los Lunas.
Posted 3:45 p.m. Former Albuquerque police Officer Christopher Chase will spend the next 15 years in prison after being sentenced today for the sexual assaults or beatings he dealt out to seven motorists from 2001 to 2003.
CHASE LAWSUITS
Besides the criminal charges, former Albuquerque police officer Christopher Chase was also named in six lawsuits, filed in federal and state courts.
All cases have been settled, costing the city about $3 million.
State District Judge Denise Barela Shepherd rejected a proposal from Chase's attorneys for a lesser sentence but a 20-year-probation.
Instead, she gave Chase the maximum allowable sentence under terms of a plea agreement signed in January.
And because of his law enforcement background, Chase will be placed in protective custody, Shepherd said. He will spend 23 hours a day in his cell.
The former officer entered Alford pleas in January to 10 counts involving attacks on motorists while he was a patrolman based in the Foothills Area Command.
An Alford plea does not admit guilt but acknowledges that enough evidence exists to convict. In the state's eyes, it is equivalent to a guilty plea.
Prosecutors say Chase randomly selected vehicles to pull over, then forced himself on the motorist, most of whom had not committed any traffic offense. The incidents occurred while Chase was both on- and off-duty, and while he was using his marked police car.
The victims include three women and three teenage girls. The charges also involve a teenage male relative of a high-ranking law enforcement official whom Chase is accused of beating with a flashlight and assaulting with a gun during a traffic stop in September 2002.
Tears flowed freely during the emotional sentencing hearing. Several victims spoke, saying they no longer trusted authorities, including police, and that the assaults had changed their lives forever.
Assistant District Attorney Michael Fricke called Chase a serial rapist. "Chase is more than a rapist who rapes victims," he said. "He raped the city."
The former officer violated the public trust, his uniform and his badge, Fricke said.
Several people spoke on Chase's behalf, denying that he could have committed the crimes.
"There has never, ever been a doubt in my mind that they have got the wrong man," said his wife, Darla.
She then started crying, prompting Chase to cry.
Chase was fired from the Albuquerque Police Department after being indicted in June 2003 on 32 charges, including five counts of rape and two counts of criminal sexual contact.
He was freed on $15,000 bond, but Shepherd in January ordered him into the Community Custody Program, where he was forced to wear an ankle monitor and check in regularly.
Until recently, he had been employed as a foreman for a construction company.
Today the judge denied a request from Chase's attorney, Jacquelyn Robins, that Chase be allowed to turn himself in.
Shepherd ordered him taken into custody immediately. He will need protective custody even during his processing at the Central Mexico Correctional Facility in Los Lunas.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Cop Fired In DWI Cover-Up
By T.J. Wilham, Journal Staff Writer
Albuquerque Police Chief Ray Schultz fired one of his officers Friday for her role in trying to cover up an alcohol-related crash involving a fellow cop.
Sara Harris, 23, a 21/2-year member of the department, has 10 days to appeal the firing.
"We are sending a very clear and strong message to the department and to the community that we hold people accountable," Schultz said. "The facts of the case are at a level where termination is the only option."
Contacted Friday, Harris referred questions to her attorney, who was out of town. Harris said she had yet to discuss with her lawyer whether she will appeal the termination. She said she learned she lost her job through news reports Friday.
An internal investigation found that Harris was in uniform working an overtime shift at a Northeast Heights bar on March 9 when she left her post to pick up officer Brandon Wilcox, 25, who is accused of wrecking his squad car while intoxicated.
Harris took Wilcox home, and moments later, Wilcox's 19-year-old brother, Bryan, showed up at the crash site in the 5500 block of Comanche NE. The younger Wilcox sat in the driver's seat, called police and waited at the scene, court records state.
When officers arrived, he told them he had stolen his brother's police car to pull a prank on some friends.
Meanwhile, Harris went back to her post working security.
Eventually, Bryan Wilcox admitted that he wasn't driving and directed officers to his brother's home nearby, records state.
There, officers found Brandon Wilcox, whose blood-alcohol content was tested at 0.20.
Investigators learned Harris might be involved after another officer came forward, Schultz said.
At the time of the crash, Harris was working chief's overtime, a program in which businesses can hire officers to work security.
On Thursday, Brandon Wilcox, who was arrested on aggravated DWI charges, resigned from the department.
Had Wilcox not resigned, Schultz said, Wilcox would have been terminated.
Albuquerque Police Chief Ray Schultz fired one of his officers Friday for her role in trying to cover up an alcohol-related crash involving a fellow cop.
Sara Harris, 23, a 21/2-year member of the department, has 10 days to appeal the firing.
"We are sending a very clear and strong message to the department and to the community that we hold people accountable," Schultz said. "The facts of the case are at a level where termination is the only option."
Contacted Friday, Harris referred questions to her attorney, who was out of town. Harris said she had yet to discuss with her lawyer whether she will appeal the termination. She said she learned she lost her job through news reports Friday.
An internal investigation found that Harris was in uniform working an overtime shift at a Northeast Heights bar on March 9 when she left her post to pick up officer Brandon Wilcox, 25, who is accused of wrecking his squad car while intoxicated.
Harris took Wilcox home, and moments later, Wilcox's 19-year-old brother, Bryan, showed up at the crash site in the 5500 block of Comanche NE. The younger Wilcox sat in the driver's seat, called police and waited at the scene, court records state.
When officers arrived, he told them he had stolen his brother's police car to pull a prank on some friends.
Meanwhile, Harris went back to her post working security.
Eventually, Bryan Wilcox admitted that he wasn't driving and directed officers to his brother's home nearby, records state.
There, officers found Brandon Wilcox, whose blood-alcohol content was tested at 0.20.
Investigators learned Harris might be involved after another officer came forward, Schultz said.
At the time of the crash, Harris was working chief's overtime, a program in which businesses can hire officers to work security.
On Thursday, Brandon Wilcox, who was arrested on aggravated DWI charges, resigned from the department.
Had Wilcox not resigned, Schultz said, Wilcox would have been terminated.
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