Albuquerque police released bodycam footage on Wednesday showing the fatal shooting of Robert Salas, a 35-year-old man, at an abandoned Walgreens near Central and San Mateo on May 29 after officers responded to a trespassing call. The Albuquerque Police Department shared 58 seconds of video from the encounter, which begins without sound for the first six seconds. A female officer is heard saying, “Show us your hands. Do it now,” followed by another officer saying, “Put down that knife.” Salas is seen dodging back and forth behind a pillar, yelling something inaudible. He then charges toward an officer, taking fewer than 10 steps before being shot. The knife falls to the ground, visible in the bottom left-hand corner of the video. Another vantage point of the encounter shows a second officer, ordering Salas to stop and drawing a Taser.”Put down the knife. You put down that knife, right now. Do you understand?” the officer says. In total, the two officers ordered Salas to either “put the knife down” or “stop” 11 times. KOAT counted four gunshots fired in all. “They saw that he had a large knife in his hand and they advised him numerous times to put the knife down,” Albuquerque police Chief Cecily Barker said on May 29.Barker said Salas was on probation at the time and had recently cut off his ankle monitor. “We recognize that this person has a criminal history of over 30 arrests,” she said, adding that his previous charges included domestic violence and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Barker also acknowledged that one officer had a Taser drawn but did not use it.”I want to say again that we recognize and hear the concerns of this community, but I need to make sure that my officers go home safe,” she said. Salas’ loved ones described him as “a bright light of hope in an otherwise broken world.”His friend Kevin Elder said Salas was originally from El Paso and had the nickname “Chuco.” “He was kind to everyone who knew him, held patience and grace no matter who he was around, and he believed that what’s in a person’s heart matters more than anything else,” Elder said in a statement.The family alleges Salas was wrongfully killed and is calling for Albuquerque police to release all documents, evidence, and video footage related to the incident. Police said they plan to release additional bodycam footage and the names of the officers involved at an upcoming news conference, though no date has been announced. Two candlelight vigils were held for Salas this week — one on Monday at the site of the shooting in Albuquerque and another Wednesday night in El Paso.
Albuquerque police released bodycam footage on Wednesday showing the fatal shooting of Robert Salas, a 35-year-old man, at an abandoned Walgreens near Central and San Mateo on May 29 after officers responded to a trespassing call.
The Albuquerque Police Department shared 58 seconds of video from the encounter, which begins without sound for the first six seconds.
A female officer is heard saying, “Show us your hands. Do it now,” followed by another officer saying, “Put down that knife.”
Salas is seen dodging back and forth behind a pillar, yelling something inaudible. He then charges toward an officer, taking fewer than 10 steps before being shot. The knife falls to the ground, visible in the bottom left-hand corner of the video.
Another vantage point of the encounter shows a second officer, ordering Salas to stop and drawing a Taser.
“Put down the knife. You put down that knife, right now. Do you understand?” the officer says.
In total, the two officers ordered Salas to either “put the knife down” or “stop” 11 times. KOAT counted four gunshots fired in all.
“They saw that he had a large knife in his hand and they advised him numerous times to put the knife down,” Albuquerque police Chief Cecily Barker said on May 29.
Barker said Salas was on probation at the time and had recently cut off his ankle monitor. “We recognize that this person has a criminal history of over 30 arrests,” she said, adding that his previous charges included domestic violence and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Barker also acknowledged that one officer had a Taser drawn but did not use it.
“I want to say again that we recognize and hear the concerns of this community, but I need to make sure that my officers go home safe,” she said.
Salas’ loved ones described him as “a bright light of hope in an otherwise broken world.”
His friend Kevin Elder said Salas was originally from El Paso and had the nickname “Chuco.”
“He was kind to everyone who knew him, held patience and grace no matter who he was around, and he believed that what’s in a person’s heart matters more than anything else,” Elder said in a statement.
The family alleges Salas was wrongfully killed and is calling for Albuquerque police to release all documents, evidence, and video footage related to the incident.
Police said they plan to release additional bodycam footage and the names of the officers involved at an upcoming news conference, though no date has been announced.
Two candlelight vigils were held for Salas this week — one on Monday at the site of the shooting in Albuquerque and another Wednesday night in El Paso.
