The APD is under surveillance after shooting a man already in custody

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque city councilors had a lot of questions Monday night after police shot and killed a man who was already in custody.

City councilors and protesters alike are demanding that Albuquerque police release all body camera videos from this shooting on Friday.

It all started when police conducted a drug operation at Tewa Lodge on Central. APD took Matthew Garcia into custody, who had multiple warrants out for his arrest at the time.

APD admits they did not fully pat him down before handcuffing him into a patrol unit. About 45 minutes later, police said they saw Garcia reaching for something in his waistband that turned out to be a weapon.

APD Chief Harold Medina says once the entire video is released, we will hear a conversation between officers that shows they were concerned about not fully searching Garcia before placing him in the patrol unit.

Meanwhile, Garcia’s parents say they are not only upset about the shooting, but also that they had to hear from people on the street that their son died.

“We are just devastated about what happened to our son. It was inappropriate for him to sit in the back of that vehicle and not be searched before he was put in the vehicle. “He should have been searched before he was put in the car,” the parents said. “Why weren’t we told about our son, why? We found out about it from people on the street. And then we weren’t allowed to cross the border. Well, I feel in my heart that they have crossed the line with our son.”

Medina was also at the meeting. He says early misinformation about how and when Garcia was shot made it difficult for police.

He asked for patience as people wait for more information and videos to be released.

“Misinformation has driven this very negative direction. The person concerned and his family, as well as officials and their family members, deserve adequate information. “Right off the bat, some extremely disturbing information came out,” Medina said. “The most important thing is that we need time to conduct an investigation and go through the facts to bring all the information to light and to ensure that we give officers due process.”

Protesters who attended Monday night’s rally also called on police to fire the officers involved.

Medina says the entire matter, including why Garcia was never patted down, remains under investigation.

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