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Incident report: Man shot by RRPD officer taunted police to shoot
Published
Modified
RIO RANCHO — The man shot by a Rio Rancho police officer last month was daring officers to shoot him, according to the initial report released Feb. 4.
Audelio Lopez, 40, was arrested for two counts of battery upon a household member as a result of a domestic violence report police were originally responding to the night of Jan. 11.
The incident unfolded when a woman reported that her daughter was in an altercation with Lopez, the victim’s husband, near Bismark Hills Way in Enchanted Hills. She said Lopez was pulling the victim’s hair and that she could hear her daughter screaming and confronted Lopez. He pushed her away and left the residence, an account that was confirmed by witnesses and the victim.
Responding officers discovered an outstanding warrant for Lopez out of Santa Fe and noted that he was intoxicated (alcohol and Hydrocodone) and physically aggressive.
Witnesses to the shooting on Enchanted Hills Boulevard said they saw Lopez crouched behind a bush, taking a stance as though he was going to fire a weapon. They also saw a police officer behind his vehicle, armed with a rifle.
Cellphone video captured by a witness showed Lopez behind the bush shouting threats such as, “Shoot me, motherfr!” and, “I’m going to kill you!.” He began walking toward the officer, who fired his weapon, injuring Lopez.
During an interview with the Multi-Agency Task Force, the officer said he perceived an imminent threat to his safety and believed he saw a weapon. However, he said his body camera was in sleep mode.
When interviewed, the officer said he perceived an imminent threat to his safety during this exchange and truly believed he saw a weapon. He admitted his body camera was in sleep mode, however.
The task force also re-enacted the incident and determined the officer’s account was true, supporting that the officer felt threatened. The report also states that visibility was poor at the time of the incident and made worse by the effect of nearby emergency lights. They also noted that once the officer was no longer threatened, he rendered aid to Lopez before emergency services arrived.
Lopez asked for a lawyer when speaking with officers at the hospital. He could face three years in prison for the new charges and a year for his warrant.
