APD Briefs Us About a Non Fatal Officer Involved Shooting

Albuquerque –

Yesterday, July 11th, the Albuquerque Police Department released details of an officer-involved shooting that occurred June 15, 2025 on Albuquerque’s West Side. Officers shot and injured Gabriel Moralez (aka Gabriel Morales), who had just committed an armed robbery.

APD tells us that officers in the Southwest Area Command responded to a 911 call about the robbery at 3:10 p.m. of the Circle K, located at 361 Coors Blvd. N.W. The store clerk said the suspect, later identified as Moralez, robbed him at gunpoint. Moralez took about $140 in cash and other items and then fled the store on foot.

Officers who responded to the Circle K watched surveillance video of the robbery which helped identify Moralez as the suspect.

Detectives saw Moralez meet up with an unidentified man and they walked east on Avalon and then south to an open field at 109 60th St. Detectives formed an arrest plan and attempted to make contact with both men at the open field. 

As detectives approached in their under cover vehicles, Moralez ran from them through the open field. Detectives pursued Moralez on foot and yelled at him to stop a few times and to put his hands up in the air.

Two sergeants deployed their less-than-lethal 40mm launchers to try to get Moralez to stop, but he continued to run toward a residential neighborhood. As Moralez got closer to the back yard of a home, one of the sergeants launched another 40mm round, and a detective fired his rifle several times, striking Moralez. The detective called out over his police radio that Moralez had a handgun in his left hand.

The detective later told investigators that he observed the 40mm rounds strike Moralez with no effect. He then saw Moralez transition the handgun from his right hand to his left hand as his arm was swinging in a running motion. The detectives said Moralez stopped and turned his upper body and extended his left arm out with the handgun toward the direction where the other detectives were approaching. The detective said he fired his rifle at Moralez at that point.

Moralez was injured, but fled again on foot from detectives. Moralez was eventually taken into custody. He was transported to a hospital to treat his injuries.

Investigators recovered a loaded handgun on scene.

Moralez was later booked into the Metro Detention Center on charges of Armed Robbery, Aggravated Assault, False Imprisonment, Resisting, evading or obstructing an officer.

APD tells us that over the next several months, they will continue to investigate and analyze this incident. Detectives will continue interviewing any new witnesses that come forward and complete any forensic tests. The Multi-Agency Task Force will forward its case to the District Attorney’s Office to make any determination of criminal charges.

APD’s Internal Affairs Force Division will also investigate the shooting to determine whether the department’s policies were followed. The results of the administrative investigation will be forwarded to the city’s Superintendent of Police Reform to make final decisions on discipline.

APD’s Force Review Board, made up of deputy chiefs, will review the incident to identify trends and potential policy changes that may be needed in response to any shortcomings that are identified.

SUBJECT:                         Gabriel Moralez, 23            

INVOLVED OFFICERS:     A SECRET APD detective, who has been with the department since 2007, this secret detective has been involved in six prior officer-involved shootings. He is now halfway to one dozen shootings of citizens. It is unclear how many of the shootings he was involved in were fatal.