Two police officers in Albuquerque, New Mexico are facing murder charges for shooting James Boyd, a mentally disturbed homeless man. The shooting was captured on a helmet camera (the video is posted here but, be warned, it is very graphic). In the video, police are attempting to talk to Boyd, who was illegally camping in the Sandia Mountains. The police, who are shouting at Boyd from a distance, ask Boyd to come down from a hill he has made camp on. It appears that Boyd attempts to comply, but officers fire a flash grenade and then fatally shoot him with an assault rifle. The charges are being brought against detective Keith Sandy and SWAT team member Dominique Perez.
Boyd was 36 years old and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. In a statement, Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden says he stands by his officers’ decision. However, Bernalillo County District Attorney Kari Brandenburg says she will bypass the grand jury and bring the case directly to a judge …
