The Albuquerque police department is being investigated after officers shot and killed a homeless man after a 3-hour altercation.
James Boyd was shot last weekend after police told him he didn't have a right to camp in the foothills of the city. Officers said they repeatedly told Boyd to get on the ground but ended up firing six rounds at Boyd, killing him. The shooting was caught on tape and received sharp criticism from the ACLU.
"Was there another way to approach this whole situation that didn't involve someone dying?" said Peter Simonson, ACLU executive director. "We need a trustworthy investigation of incidents like this."
Boyd does have a violent record that includes assault on another homeless man and on a police officer, but critics nonetheless say the shooting was "unjustified at best and murder at worst."
[HuffPost Live]
