Police in New Mexico released footage Friday night showing officers shooting and killing a man after he responded to an emergency call but in the wrong direction.
The Farmington Police Department released body camera and audio video from 911 officers involved in the April 5 incident when three officers responded to a call but knocked on the wrong front door. Officers were responding to a domestic violence call at 5308 Valley View Avenue, but footage shows them arriving at a home identified as 5305.
Department Chief Steve Hebbe ordered the release of images under state law "and out of a desire to be communicative and transparent with the Farmington community, the general public and the media," according to a statement from the institution.
The footage shows the officers knocking on the door several times and identifying themselves as such. Then, they asked for confirmation from the address of the office and argued among themselves about whether they were in the correct house. Moments later, a man opens the door and points a gun at the officers before they pull out and immediately fire their weapons.
The victim, Robert Dotson, died immediately at the scene, police said. A woman later identified as Dotson's wife appears at the door about a minute later and more shots are fired. According to police, he also shot them with a gun.
The department said the names of the three officers involved, which were removed from the footage and audio, could not be released due to the ongoing investigation. It's unclear why the officers, who are on paid leave during the investigation, headed to the wrong address, authorities said.
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