New Mexico authorities have launched an investigation after officers in Farmington responded to the wrong address, then shot and killed the homeowner late Wednesday, local station KOB4 reports.
In an apologetic video statement shared on social media Thursday, Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe said that officers from Farmington Police Department received a call for a possible domestic violence incident at 5308 Valley View Avenue at 11:30 p.m., yet mistakenly approached 5305 Valley View when they arrived.
Hebbe said the officers knocked on the door and announced themselves as members of the Farmington Police Department. 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 was a chaotic scene, with officers retreating and opening fire, killing the homeowner,” said Hebbe.
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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.
She was uninjured and complied with the officers’ commands once she realized they were police.
“There’s nothing I can say that will make this better. It’s a terrible event, and I’m heartbroken over it,” Hebbe said in the video.
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.
Watch the report below from KOB4.
