Rio Rancho police officers fired on a man in a Walmart parking lot at Unser and Southern. Now, that individual is suing the authorities, claiming they violated his civil rights by failing to announce themselves and endangering onlookers.
“We don’t want people being shot in a Walmart parking lot while trying to go shopping,” said Ramón A. Soto of The Soto Law Office, one of the lawyers for Cheyne Estrada.
Police accused Cheyne Estrada, 22, of being responsible for some crimes. Body camera footage shows the officers approaching him as he moves towards a blue Honda Civic. One cop said, “Hey, stand right there.” The officers then rushed to Estrada’s driver’s seat, yelling, “Get out, get out.”
Officers flee as soon as they hear Estrada fire a gun into the ground. They fired back, shouting, “Shots fired, shots fired.”
Estrada’s lawyers underlined the importance of cops informing citizens of their qualifications. “So, when you approach someone from the back, the officers do not introduce themselves. You’re going to assume they’re not cops, right? “You’re going to think someone is robbing you or something,” Soto explained.
According to the criminal complaint, police interviewed Estrada, who initially claimed he was unaware they were officers before admitting he “knew officers were trying to stop him.”
According to Estrada’s legal team, the lawsuit’s purpose is to pay him for his damages and injuries while also holding authorities accountable. “We all care about our neighborhood, and when it comes to officer actions with suspects, we simply want to ensure that the community as a whole is not harmed as collateral damage. “As well as ensuring that our law enforcement follows the rules,” said Taylor Smith of Smith & Marjanovic Law, another lawyer for Cheyne Estrada.
Estrada’s wife and child were in the car during the incident. Estrada was shot but managed to get to his apartment in Albuquerque, where he was later apprehended. Estrada pleaded guilty to two charges of aggravated assault on a peace officer with a dangerous weapon and is still in custody.
The Rio Rancho Police Department stated that they cannot comment on current litigation, however Officer Christopher Ault and Officer Justin Salido remain on the job.