Bernalillo County deputy accused of drunkenly pointing gun at bystanders after shift

Matthew Reisen, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
·3 min read
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Jan. 26—Police say a veteran Bernalillo County deputy drank vodka and pointed a gun at two men outside a gas station Thursday night in Northeast Albuquerque.

Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Jayme Fuller said deputy Michael Borrecco had just gotten off his shift and was in his unmarked BCSO unit at the time.

Albuquerque police initially released the 34-year-old deputy while they searched his vehicle, according to court records. Detectives found 19 empty, shot-sized vodka bottles inside, along with a loaded 9mm handgun with an extended magazine.

Borrecco turned himself in Friday morning after being charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and negligent use of a deadly weapon. He was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center. It is unclear if he has an attorney.

Fuller said Borrecco has been with BCSO for eight years and is assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division. She said he is on paid administrative leave.

The incident was the second arrest of a BCSO deputy this month. On Jan. 1, deputy Adrienne Seay, 43, was arrested by New Mexico State Police for DWI after pulling into a checkpoint.

On Thursday, Albuquerque police responded around 10:20 p.m. to the Circle K gas station on Osuna NE, west of Interstate 25, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. Two men told police Borrecco — who by then was in the back of a police car — pointed a gun at them after using his vehicle's public address system and lights to get them to leave.

Police said Borrecco smelled of alcohol and didn't identify himself as a BCSO deputy until seven minutes after police contacted him. When they asked what he bought inside, knowing it was a 100 milliliter bottle of vodka, he replied, "You know what I purchased."

Borrecco told police he thought the two men were "doing something they shouldn't have" and he told them to leave using the lights and PA system on his unit, according to the complaint. He told police, "There's enough (expletive) going on already in this city, it just pisses me off," but said he never pointed a gun.

Police said a sergeant "decided not to arrest" Borrecco until his unit could be searched, and he was released.

The two men told police they were waiting for their friend, a store employee, when Borrecco used his PA system to identify himself as "BCSO" and told them to leave, according to the complaint. The men said they approached his vehicle and Borrecco pointed a gun, which had a flashlight attached to it, at them and repeatedly said, "I'll take your soul."

Police said surveillance video around 7:30 p.m. showed Borrecco bought a 100 milliliter bottle of alcohol at the Circle K and got into his vehicle outside. The video showed Borrecco sitting in his vehicle for several minutes before flashing his lights and the two men approached his unit.

Officers searched Borrecco's unit and found he had drunk the shot he bought, and discovered another 18 empty mini bottles. They also found a full-loaded 9mm handgun with a flashlight mounted to it and an extended magazine.