Lawsuit Accuses Police in New Mexico of Wrongful Death

A lawsuit accuses Albuquerque police of wrongfully killing a pipe-wielding man during a 2018 encounter in a home after officers found him hiding in a closet.

The lawsuit filed last week by 24-year-old Daniel Saavedra’s sister says police should have tried to defuse the situation before entering the apartment and cornering Saavedra.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that police lapel camera video shows officers shooting as 24-year-old Daniel Saavedra leapt out into an empty bedroom, swinging a metal pipe near officers.

Saavedra formerly lived in the apartment and police were called after he broke into it.

The lawsuit said Saavedra was suffering from psychosis.

Police Department spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said the city’s lawyers would respond to the lawsuit’s allegations in court.