Ledes from the Land of Enchantment

Man allegedly wrecks police vehicle in SE Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KRQE) – A recently released police body camera video shows the arrest of a man after allegedly using a bat to break the window of a police car in Albuquerque. Jose Sanchez, 25, faces multiple charges over the incident that occurred near Zuni and Louisiana in September 2021.

According to a criminal complaint, an APD officer returned to her patrol car near the corner of Bell and Alcazar Streets at around 4:00 p.m. on Sept. 12 on an unrelated call nearby when she heard someone shout and the sound of glass breaking . As the officer approached their patrol car, the complaint states that the officer noticed that a man was using a baseball bat to smash the car windows.

APD says the officer then told suspect Sanchez to get away from the car. As the officer approached Sanchez, he allegedly took a few steps towards the officer and raised the bat as if to hit the officer.

However, the complaint states that Sanchez threw the bat on the ground and ran away. The police body camera video shows police officers chasing Sanchez and catching up with him along Bell Street. During the chase, one of the responding APD officials claimed to have heard a shotgun being drawn. There was a door to an apartment nearby, suggesting that someone was inside.

The video shows that officers stayed under cover while trying to determine if anyone was in the apartment. During this time, Sanchez remained free. According to a criminal complaint, Sanchez then picked up a shovel nearby and hurled it against a residential building before escaping from the police again.

The officers eventually caught up with Sanchez near the Alcazar and Trumbull intersection, where he was arrested. According to a complaint, officers never found anything related to the sound of the shotgun that was heard in the middle of the incident.

Sanchez faces multiple charges, including assault and criminal damage to a peace officer. He has pleaded not guilty in the case, but a court is now examining his intellectual competence. A hearing in the case is scheduled for February 15, 2022.

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