Video shows US police killing man after responding to wrong address
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Robert Dotson, 52, was killed by officers of the Farmington Police Department, after they came to his house by mistake.
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New Mexico State Police in Santa Fe on January 17, 2021. (AFP)
New Mexico police released a video on Friday showing cops shooting a man dead after going to the wrong home.
The Farmington Police Department released body camera footage and 911 audio from the April 5 incident, in which three officers knocked on the wrong house's door.
They were responding to a domestic violence incident from 5308 Valley View Ave, however, the video shows them arriving at a property tagged "5305".
The release was required by Chief Steve Hebbe under state law "and out of a desire to be forthcoming and transparent with the Farmington community, the general public, and the news media," according to a statement from the department.
The video shows the cops repeatedly banging on the door and announcing themselves. The police then ask dispatch for confirmation of the address and discuss if they are at the incorrect residence.
Moments later, a man opens the door and aims a handgun at the cops, prompting them to draw and shoot their firearms.
According to authorities, the victim, Robert Dotson, died at the scene.
About a minute later, a lady subsequently described as Dotson's wife comes to the door, and additional bullets are fired. She allegedly pulled out a pistol at the cops.
Due to the continuing investigation, the department stated that the identities of the three officers involved, which were redacted from the film and audio, could not be revealed.
It's unclear why the cops, who are on paid leave for the duration of the inquiry, went to the wrong house, according to police.
Dotson's daughter can be heard weeping in one of the 911 audio tapes released before reporting that her mother was screaming and her father had been shot.
Hebbe admitted that "all of us -the men and women of the Farmington Police Department – recognize the severity of this incident."
Read more: Only 41% of US believe police treat Black, White people equally: Poll
"Once again, we wish to express our condolences to the Dotson family and as your chief of police, I wish to convey how very sorry I am that this tragedy occurred."
According to the Pew Research Center, around 40% of US households own firearms.
The Gun Violence Archive database reports an estimated 44,000 gun-related deaths in the United States last year, with around half of them being murder cases, accidents, and self-defense, and the other half being suicides.
America has long been engulfed in mass tensions between police and citizens due to police brutality and the use of excessive force.
It revealed that 14 individuals were shot or died in "officer-involved incidents" in New Mexico this year, according to the archive.
According to the archive, more than 5,000 individuals in the United States perished as a result of firearm-related violence in 2023.
