APD releases lapel video of recent police shootings

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Two shootings involving Albuquerque police officers happened in May, just three days apart.

APD released new details on both shootings Friday.

SILVER AVENUE & ADAMS STREET

On May 16, officers tracked down 16-year-old Isaiah Espinosa who was wanted in connection to an armed robbery and a deadly house party shooting in December.

They found him when someone called police about two men at a southeast Albuquerque apartment with a machine gun.

Detectives identified Espinosa, then followed him and three others in a car through the neighborhood. When they made contact, Espinosa and another man reportedly ran away.

Officers arrested Espinosa and David Baldonado.

Baldonado is charged with felony crimes against a household member and kidnapping.

Investigators said 18-year-old Isaac Reyes also ran from the same car moments later – and pulled a gun. An APD detective shot Reyes once.

Reyes survived the shooting. Investigators said they’ve already connected the gun Reyes was holding to another shooting, and found another gun inside the car.

Someone reported that gun stolen about two years ago – and investigators linked it to at least five other shootings under investigation.

“It’s always alarming when young people who have access to firearms are committing violent crimes. We’re not new to it though either,” said APD Deputy Cmdr. Kyle Hartsock.

The detective who opened fire has been with the department since 2011, and has been involved in two prior officer-involved shootings.

THE BEACH APARTMENTS

David Gaylor’s sister called police, saying he told her he bought a rope and was planning to kill himself. He said if she came over, he would kill her too.

She told officers he had been diagnosed with multiple disorders.

Gaylor refused to answer his door, so officers tried talking to him through an open window in the back of the apartment.

Then, Gaylor opened the door with a six-foot pole with a knife taped to the end.

Officers tried tasing him twice, then two officers fired their guns.

“We respond to suicidal subject calls daily in the city of Albuquerque and by and large, 99% of them, there’s some kind of opening the door, let’s talk, paramedics come in and that person goes to the hospital,” Hartsock said.

But in this case, Gaylor didn’t make it to the hospital. Officers and rescue personnel attempted to save him, but he died on scene.

One officer who opened fire has been with the department since 2021, and the other officer has been with the department since 2022. Both had not been involved in any officer-involved shootings.