ALBUQUERQUE — A wild shootout erupted in downtown Albuquerque just before midnight Friday when a man on a scooter opened fire on his attacker, only for police to blast back and kill him.
The deadly confrontation unfolded near Central Avenue and 3rd Street in the heart of the city’s nightlife district, where Albuquerque Police had ramped up patrols.
Officers working in the area heard a shot and responded to reports of gunfire between two men, according to APD Chief Cecily Barker. They arrived to find the pair in a heated altercation, with one of them apparently armed.
One of the men fired at officers. Cops returned fire.
The man who shot at police — the one on the scooter, per witnesses and video circulating online, was struck by police bullets and later died at a hospital. A handgun was recovered at the scene.
The second man, who had been assaulted and shot by the scooter rider during their fight, was also hit but suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Officers provided first aid on the scene, and he is expected to survive.
“It was a very chaotic scene,” Chief Barker said in a briefing. Officers heard the initial shot near Third and Central. “One of those individuals was believed to be armed. Officers fired towards the area.”
The scene was a mess of flashing lights, mounted patrol racing in, and first responders working on the wounded man amid the smell of gunpowder mixing with the usual downtown mix of cigarettes and booze.
APD has not released the names of either man involved and is still piecing together exactly what sparked the altercation. Detectives are investigating the officer-involved shooting, the latest in a string this year, and are asking anyone with video or information to call 242-COPS.
Bystander video of the aftermath has already gone viral, showing the frantic response and raising fresh questions about the escalating violence plaguing parts of downtown Albuquerque even as police maintain a heavier presence during nightlife hours.The second man remains hospitalized. No officers were injured.This is a developing story.
