Justice Department Opens Criminal Investigation Into Officer-Involved Shooting in Albuquerque, New Mexico

The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into the March 16, 2014 Albuquerque Police Department officer-involved shooting resulting in the death of James M. Boyd in Albuquerque, N.M. The independent investigation will be conducted by the Department of Justice’s Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Experienced federal prosecutors will determine whether the evidence generated by the investigation reveals a prosecutable violation of any of the limited federal criminal civil rights statutes within the Justice Department’s jurisdiction, and whether federal prosecution is appropriate.