Called on April 5 for a case of domestic violence, American police officers showed up in the middle of the night at the wrong door of a house in Farmington (south) and shot and killed its occupant, pulled out a gun in his hand, according to video images made public Friday.
While the call for action was for a house at 5308 Valley View Avenue, the three-police patrol knocked repeatedly at 5305 claiming to be police.
According to footage taken by their video cameras, released by New Mexico State Police, a man, Robert Dotson, ended up opening the door with a gun drawn. He was immediately shot.
Police said they were unable to explain at this stage why the officers showed up at the wrong address, despite discussions they had with each other and with their headquarters to confirm the address of the intervention.
The video recording then shows Robert Dotson’s wife at the front door, and more shots ring out. According to the police, this woman fired at the officers.
The names of these, laid off during the investigation, have not yet been revealed.
In a press release, the local police chief, Steve Hebbe, underlines that all of his services are aware of the “seriousness” of this case.
“As chief of police, I want to express how sorry I am that this tragedy has happened,” he added.
According to the American organization Pew Research Center, about 40% of American households own weapons. Last year, some 44,000 gun deaths were recorded in the United States, half of them in cases of murder, accident or self-defense, the other half being related to suicides, according to the Gun Violence Archive website.