A Regrettable Record
Discover more from Chile Street
In this week’s Chile Street:
Albuquerque marks record number of police shootings
State won’t require covid vaccine to attend school
Santa Fe man accused of robbing sandwich shop with a golf club
Couy Griffin confronts board replacement
Couy Griffin loses appeal
A newspaper carrier saves man who’d fallen in his driveway
And more!
Good morning! Today is Friday, Nov. 18. Here’s a look at the past week in New Mexico news.
APD Sets Regrettable Record
Officers with the Albuquerque Police Department have been involved in 17 shootings this year, as of Nov. 11, a new single-year record, Sasha Lenninger of KOAT-TV reported. Ten of those shootings were fatal.
Between 2018 and 2022, APD was involved in 54 shootings, with 30 of those shootings resulting in death.
City officials shared the data following an early morning police shooting on Nov. 10 in downtown Albuquerque, just blocks from the police station.
For more, including more statistics and some fantastic charts, read or watch Lenninger’s story here (no paywall): koat.com/article/albuquerque-police-officers-shootings-deadly-ois-crime-stats/41927356
DATA Specific to APD
The data released only tracks shootings by APD, and officers from other law enforcement agencies have also been involved in shootings within the city limits of Albuquerque.
The city’s most recent police shooting occurred early Thursday morning and involved officers from New Mexico State Police.
The shooting followed an hourslong standoff that began Wednesday evening when police attempted to stop a vehicle driven by a man suspected of driving while intoxicated. According to Officer Ray Wilson, an NMSP spokesperson, after barricading himself in his vehicle for hours, the man exited the vehicle around 3 a.m. Thursday, armed with a machete. At least one officer fired at least one round at the man, killing him.
Police had not released the name of the man killed or the officer who fired the fatal shot as of this writing.
Covid vaccines not required to attend NM schools
A state vaccine advisory committee recommended that students attending public schools in New Mexico get vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus, but the board decided against requiring the vaccine for enrollment in New Mexico schools, Dan Boyd of the Albuquerque Journal reported.
New Mexico currently has state-required immunizations for polio, hepatitis B, and several other diseases in order for students to attend schools. Exemptions are available in some cases.
So far, roughly 61% of New Mexico children between the ages of 12 and 17 had completed their initial series of vaccine doses, according to Department of Health data. Among children between the ages of 5 and 11, only about 33% were fully vaccinated.
Read Boyd’s story here (paywall): abqjournal.com/2550307/nm-wont-require-covid-19-vaccines-for-school-attendance.html
Top Stories
Man accused of robbing Subway with golf club
A Santa Fe man arrested Thursday is suspected of robbing a Subway sandwich shop with a golf club, Nathan Lederman of the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.
Police say the man entered the restaurant in Plaza Entrada around 6:45 p.m. armed with a golf club and demanded money. When the clerk hid inside a freezer, the man allegedly jumped over the counter and smashed the cash register with the golf club.
Read the story here (paywall): santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/man-accused-of-robbing-subway-with-golf-club/article_6fceb996-61da-11ed-9e61-bbfb3c0360cd.html
ABQ City Council takes another swipe at ending the Zero Fares Bus Program
The Albuquerque City Council continued its efforts to end the hop-on-and-go Zero Fares program, citing safety concerns despite city data showing that the buses have become more accessible and safer since the program was implemented last January, Lissa Knudsen reported for Source New Mexico.
A new proposal includes free rides to anyone who is under age 10 and over 62, or who has a student or government issued military or medicare card. At least initially, bus riders would need to obtain a free bus pass and then show that pass, or a ticket, to the driver when they board.
Read the story here (no paywall): sourcenm.com/2022/11/11/city-council-takes-another-swipe-at-ending-the-zero-fares-bus-program-citing-unreliable-data/
San Miguel County secures $5M in funding for drug rehabilitation center
The Northeast Regional Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center is a major step closer to opening its doors to the community after securing nearly $5 million in state and federal funding, Ryan Lowery reported for the Las Vegas Optic.
The funding allows construction crews to begin renovations to an existing building that will be transformed into an inpatient substance addiction treatment center. The local treatment center is also a key component to the area’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program, which launched at the end of summer.
Read the story here (no paywall): lasvegasoptic.com/news/community/county-secures-5m-in-funding-for-drug-rehabilitation-center/article_ad4116a4-6101-11ed-b92f-17a3788c96c4.html
Couy Griffin confronts DuBois over appointment, derails meeting
Former Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin disrupted the Otero County Commission meeting during his time at the public comment table, and things got so heated that a sitting county commissioners plans to file a restraining order against Griffin, reported Nicole Maxwell of NM Political Report.
Griffin was unhappy that Stephanie DuBois, a Democrat, was appointed to his old seat after Griffin was removed from office.
Read the story here (no paywall): nmpoliticalreport.com/2022/11/15/couy-griffin-confronts-dubois-over-appointment-derails-meeting/?mc_cid=2db136e76e&mc_eid=fbd3930a5e
NM Supreme Court tosses appeal by Couy Griffin
Former Republican Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin failed to explain to New Mexico’s highest court how he would challenge his removal from elected office, so the court threw out his appeal, Austin Fisher of Source New Mexico reported.
The New Mexico Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a two-page order dismissing Griffin’s appeal of an earlier court ruling that removed him from his elected position and barred him for life from serving in elected federal and state positions.
The ruling marked the first time an elected official was unseated by court order as a result of participating in or supporting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Tuesday’s dismissal affirms the ruling.
Read Fisher’s story here (no paywall): sourcenm.com/2022/11/15/nm-supreme-court-throws-out-couy-griffins-appeal/
Newspaper carrier saves injured subscriber
Ed Gardo Mejia was near Rodeo Road delivering papers along his route for The New Mexican early on Nov. 5 when he spotted someone laying on the ground, waving his arms, Marianne Todd of the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.
It was 5 a.m. and 32 degrees, and a strong wind was blowing, and the man had fallen while reaching for his newspaper, breaking his hip and arm.
Gardo Mejia stopped and ran to help, helping the man stand, he held him upright until an ambulance arrived.
Gardo Mejia began delivering for The New Mexican about two months ago, but had only been delivering papers to the man he saved for about a week after adding the route to earn more money. He doesn’t see himself as a hero though, telling Todd the title is for firemen and doctors.
Read Todd’s story here (paywall): santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/newspaper-carrier-delivers-some-help-by-saving-injured-subscriber/article_7d63c3ea-6111-11ed-b735-53c313384c76.html
That’s it for now. Have a great weekend!
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Who’s responsible for Chile Street? The culprit is Ryan Lowery, a New Mexico journalist living in Albuquerque.
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