District Attorney Angela "Spence" Pacheco has ruled that an officer-involved shooting of a 77-year-old veteran earlier this month was justified.
"Based on all the evidence I have reviewed, Officer Laramie's response was appropriate," she said Wednesday.
State police reports on the incident say Officer Charles Laramie, 25, responded to an alarm call at 512 Johnson Lane at about 3:30 a.m. March 4. At the same time, Robert Dominguez, 77, a Navy veteran and former Santa Fe police officer and county deputy, who was looking after the property, also went to investigate the alarm.
According to a search warrant filed March 7 in state District Court, Laramie entered the property by himself and, moments after the shooting, "told dispatch a male came around the corner with a gun."
When two other officers arrived on the scene, the search warrant states, Laramie told them Dominguez "pointed a gun at him."
The search warrant says state police found Dominguez's .38-caliber Colt revolver with six unspent rounds at the scene. Seven spent bullet casings also were found, although the search warrant doesn't specify whether the casings were from Laramie's service weapon.
Dominguez is in serious condition at the Albuquerque veterans hospital. Laramie has been reinstated.
Copyright 2013 - The Santa Fe New Mexican
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
