Police In Farmington, New Mexico, Respond To Wrong Residence And Kill Homeowner
New Mexico State Police are investigating after officers in Farmington responded to the wrong address, then shot and killed the homeowner late Wednesday.
Officers from Farmington Police Department received a call for a possible domestic violence incident at 5308 Valley View Avenue at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, yet mistakenly approached 5305 Valley View when they arrived.
Body camera footage shows the officers knocking on the door and announcing themselves as members of the Farmington Police Department, according to an account by New Mexico State Police.
When nobody answered, the officers backed away, at which point 52-year-old Robert Dotson opened the screen door armed with a handgun.
What followed, said Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe, “was a chaotic scene, with officers retreating and opening fire.”
Officers shot and killed Dotson.
After the initial exchange of gunfire, authorities said Dotson’s wife, who also was armed with a handgun, opened fire from the doorway, prompting officers to return fire.
Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe is seen in a screenshot from a video statement shared by the department Thursday.
She was uninjured and complied with the officers’ commands once she realized they were police.
In an apologetic video statement shared on social media Thursday, Hebbe pledged to release body camera footage within a week.
“Mr. Dotson was not the subject of the call that our officers were responding to, and this ending is just unbelievably tragic,” Hebbe said. “This is a very dark day for the Farmington PD, for our community, for the Dotson family.
“There’s nothing I can say that will make this better. It’s a terrible event, and I’m heartbroken over it.”
It’s unclear what charges might stem from the fatal shooting. The New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau said Thursday its findings would be shared with the appropriate district attorney, who ultimately would make that decision.
