ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) has fired an officer. He’s accused of shooting someone who threw rocks at him.
Officers reportedly found Gabriel Garcia trying to break into a convenience store while responding to a shot spotter call on Candelaria near Carlisle on September 21, 2022. Garcia took off on foot, but an officer, identified as Quan La, caught up to him.
Officials alleged Garcia threw landscaping rocks at La. The officer opened fire and hit Garcia in the arm. Garcia was indicted with assault on a peace officer.
Quan La was fired, but APD did not give a reason for why that is.
In an October news conference on this shooting, Chief Harold Medina was asked about APD’s policy when officers use deadly force as opposed to less lethal force, like tasers.
He stated, “Currently, the way our policy is written is a passive-resistant individual cannot be tased, and we’re trying to update that, and we’re trying to correct that.”
