The Department of Justice (DOJ) has released its findings after an exhaustive investigation into whether the the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) engages in a pattern or practice of constitutional violations. The full report is available online here. A summary of the top-line findings of the report are as follows:
Findings
The Justice Department found reasonable cause to believe that the Albuquerque Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The Justice Department specifically found three patterns of excessive force:
Officers too frequently use deadly force against people who pose a minimal threat in situations where the conduct of the officers heightens the danger and contributes to the need to use force;
Officers use less lethal force, including Tasers on people who are passively resisting, non-threatening, observably unable to comply with orders, or pose only a minimal threat to the officers; and
Encounters between Albuquerque Police officers and persons with mental illness and in crisis too frequently result in a use of force or a higher level of force than necessary.
The Albuquerque Journal has further developing coverage
