Albuquerque police in another shooting, department says

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Just a day after a district attorney announced murder charges against two Albuquerque police officers, authorities said another city police officer shot and killed a man Tuesday night.

Police said the latest shooting happened just before 5 p.m. after officers were dispatched to a busy eastern Albuquerque street due to a report of suspicious criminal activity.

The officers arrived and took one man into custody, but another man fled on foot, police said.

Albuquerque police spokeswoman Celina Espinoza said the fleeing man later fired shots at the officers, and at least one officer returned fire, killing the suspect. The man was wearing body armor, and his weapon was found near his body, Espinoza said.

The man's name was not released. The name of officer who fired shots also was not released.

Albuquerque Deputy Chief Robert Huntsman told reporters no officers were seriously injured.

Two officers were put on leave, which is department policy in such cases, reports CBS Albuquerque affiliate KRQE-TV.

Details about the shooting were scarce Tuesday evening, the station says, adding that officers were heard on the police radio, which is public information, recommending to one another to not say anything over the air because "people are listening."

The shooting comes at a time of turmoil for the department, which has long faced criticism for its use of force, especially in officer-involved shootings.

Patrick Dowless, who lives near where the shooting took place, told the Albuquerque Journal that he saw what he believes is a body lying near the scene of the shooting.

"I heard 11 to 14 shots and heard screeching tires and sirens, so I knew something was happening," Dowless said. "I went outside and saw lots of officers running towards a body and some running the other way. The officers were standing over the body but when the paramedics arrived they stood up right away."

Tuesday's shooting marks the department's third this year - the first fatal one - and comes a day after Bernalillo County District Attorney Kari Brandenburg announced that she was seeking murder charges against two officers for the March shooting of James Boyd, a 38-year-old homeless man who authorities said suffered from mental illness.

Last week, police say Lt. Greg Brachle shot and critically wounded by a fellow officer during an undercover drug bust. Police Chief Gordon Eden said preliminary information shows both officers were working undercover and were in plain clothes when the shooting happened.

Earlier this month, Albuquerque police officer Lou Golson fired his weapon after he was shot and wounded during a traffic stop. Authorities say Golson is in stable condition at a hospital. The suspect, who was not injured in the shooting, is being held on attempted murder and other charges.

The shootings also come as the city of Albuquerque and the U.S. Justice Department are working to finalize an agreement to overhaul the police department following a harsh report on its use of force. The agreement now is before a federal judge, and both sides are working to approve a monitoring team.

In addition, Albuquerque police had been under scrutiny for more than 40 police shootings since 2010.