Feds won’t charge N. Mexico officers in fatal standoff

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — There’s not enough evidence to pursue criminal civil rights charges against the Albuquerque police officers who were involved in the 2014 fatal shooting of a homeless man that spurred public protest, the U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday.

Officials with the agency’s civil rights division, federal prosecutors and the FBI met with James Boyd’s family and their representative to inform them of the decision to close the investigation.

“This decision is limited strictly to the department’s inability to meet the high legal standard required to prosecute the case under the federal civil rights statute; it does not reflect an assessment of any other aspect of the shooting,” the agency said in a statement.

Boyd, who had a history of mental illness, was shot and killed following an hours-long standoff with authorities after he was discovered camping illegally in the foothills bordering Albuquerque.

Two former Albuquerque officers were tried on second-degree murder charges in state district court. That case ended in a mistrial last year, and state prosecutors later cleared them both.

Watchdog groups and others who have been pushing for reforms within the Albuquerque police force said they were disappointed in the decision. Boyd’s death was a seminal moment in bringing broader understanding of the use of force to the public, they noted.

“Ultimately what we need to focus on here in Albuquerque is changing the systemic deficiencies that are plaguing this department,” said Steve Allen with the American Civil Liberties Union in New Mexico. “We are now two years into the process of reforming APD, and we have a long and bumpy road ahead.”

Members of the Albuquerque police union were pleased with the decision, saying the officers were doing what they were trained to do.