Albuquerque – Today the Albuquerque Police Department released details of an officer-involved shooting that occurred on Nov. 11, 2024, at the Speedway gas station, located at 2401 San Mateo Blvd., N.E.
Anthony Hernandez, 33, was fatally shot during an exchange of gunfire with police officers. Three bystanders were also shot by officers during the shooting. No officers were injured.
Summary of Incident
Officers in the Northeast Area Command responded on November 11,2024 shortly after 6:00 p.m. to several reports of a highly intoxicated man, later identified as Hernandez, who was in and around the Speedway gas station. Employees at the Speedway rightly refused to sell Hernandez alcohol because he was intoxicated and he even dropped a firearm while in the store. One person reported the man was “cocking” the firearm and a third caller said the man was even pointing the firearm at the child who was with him. Officers advised the employee of the gas stations to lock the doors and shelter in place.
Detectives later determined the young child, a girl was Hernandez’s daughter. She was miraculously not injured during the incident.
Officers developed a plan and approached the front of the gas station on the south side of the parking lot using a police vehicle as cover. As officers identified themselves, Hernandez was standing near two other men toward the north side of the front of the store. His daughter was behind them. Hernandez walked several feet toward the officers with one of the other men walking behind him.
Officers identified Hernandez as the suspect and told him he was being detained and not free to leave. Officers yelled at bystanders to leave the area and get away from Hernandez.
Officers noted that he appeared to be hiding something behind his back. Officers ordered Hernandez to put his hands up.
At 6:15 p.m., Hernandez raised both arms up to chest level and a handgun was seen in his right hand. One officer yelled at him to drop the gun, while another officer fired a 40 mm less-than-lethal round at Hernandez as he held the gun and started to walk away from officers. As he did so, he raised his right arm, pointed the gun, and fired one round toward officers. Investigators later determined the gunshot Hernandez fired struck a vehicle that was between him and officers.
Officers fired back, striking Hernandez. Hernandez died at the scene as a result of his wounds. A handgun was located near Hernandez and a bullet casing was underneath his body.
Another man, a 68-year-old male, was also struck by a bullet during the exchange of gunfire. He was transported to a hospital and treated for his wound. He has since been released.
When officers fired toward Hernandez, five rounds struck the same vehicle that Hernandez struck when he fired a shot. The driver of that car, a man in his 30s, was struck in his fingers, and the adult female in the passenger’s seat was struck in the arm. The man and woman drove away from the scene and later called 911 from a Walgreens at Lomas Blvd. and Carlisle Blvd., N.E. They were transported to a hospital and treated for their wounds.
Over the next several months, APD says 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: Anthony Hernandez, 33
INVOLVED OFFICERS: Officer Zachary Herbst, who has been with the department since 2014, has been involved in two prior officer-involved shootings.
Officer Miguel Rodriguez, who has been with the department since 2018, has not been involved in prior officer-involved shootings.
Officer Derek Maines, who has been with the department since 2018, has not been involved in prior officers-involved shootings.
What’s really going to end up happening is the city is going to pay the medical bills and possibly cut checks for those that were shot by apd officers. Obviously the one office is no stranger to firing his weapon. I understand that as a cop you may use that weapon more than once in your career. This city could definitely see an officer doing that.
The qualified immunity that officers have afforded to them really should be reevaluated. These labor contracts that have these officers avoiding public scrutiny also need to be looked at. We need cops goes without saying. We need cops who are well trained and paid. What we don’t need again is cops hiding behind contracts and immunity clauses in said contracts.
People say without that immunity clause no one would want to be a cop for fear of being sued for something they did while in duty. If the cops did the right thing from the start they wouldn’t have to worry about getting sued or losing their jobs. It’s the fact that they know they are going to make a mistake. Possibly a life ending/life changing mistake. We all make mistakes on the job sometimes it’s a fact of life. But the majority of us have to deal with the consequences of that mistake. We don’t get to hide behind a contract/immunity.
Is there something in the drinking water in this city!!
[…] Summary of Incident Here […]
Officer Sanchez – has been involved in (3) officer involved shootings were someone died. The national average for single officer discharging and killing someone during their career is 0.01 percent. That’s right. 1/10th of 1% chance of being killed by a police officer. My source is Minnesota Star Tribune study spanning 2001 to 2018. Out of 17.5m crimes committed where police were involved – there is a chance that 1 in 9000 people could potentially be involved in an altercation with an officer. Officer Sanchez has killed (3) people in Albuquerque during his short career. If you get pulled over by officer Sanchez from APD there is a stronger then 53% chance he will kill you. Based on the numbers of shootings / killing he has committed versus the national average .
Sounds like the Buckshot Roberts of APD. “He’s killed more people than smallpox.”
Was the 3 year old child, carrying as well? Shooting at her father, and hitting that car 5 times endangered her life. If a child is that close…