Albuquerque police officer injured, believed by friendly fire, in fatal shootout with armed suspect
By: An Albuquerque police officer is at home recovering after taking friendly fire in a deadly shooting. Harold Medina, the department's police chief, addressed the shooting nearly three weeks after it happened.
The Albuquerque Police Department said it all started with a domestic violence call on Oct. 13. When three officers arrived, they encountered an armed suspect named Matthew Sanchez, 41.
Police body camera footage shows the officers shot Sanchez seven times, killing him. A few seconds after shooting Sanchez, you can see an officer drop to the ground screaming.
"My arm," one of the officers said. "Upper arm."
One of the officers was shot in the arm. During the investigation, police found Sanchez's gun in the lock back position, meaning it was out of bullets. So, if Sanchez didn't have bullets to shoot the officer, who did?
"Officer Torres mentions she was in fear she was about to get struck by a bullet and turned her head in anticipation of getting struck," Medina said.
Investigators say it was a case of friendly fire. The injured officer was most likely shot by a fellow officer standing behind them.