ALBUQUERQUE –
Detectives from the Albuquerque Police Department arrested 19-year-old Joshua Dickens this morning in connection with the fatal shooting that occurred on Saturday in front of a bus stop on Central Avenue.
Police allege that Joshua Dickens shot Eric Purley near the bus stop, located at 6818 Central Ave. S.E. Surveillance footage captured a man in a blue shirt, later identified as Dickens, walking on the sidewalk at 10:44 AM. Dickens passed the bus stop on the south side of Central, then turned around and confronted another man, identified as Purley. Purley approached Dickens, and an altercation ensued. The video shows Purley walking back towards the bus stop, clutching his chest, before collapsing on the sidewalk.
Despite being rushed to a local hospital, Purley died from his injuries.
A friend of Purley’s informed police that she had picked him up earlier in the morning to go to the flea market at Expo New Mexico. However, upon arriving, Purley was intoxicated and refused to go. He crossed Central Ave. recklessly, nearly getting hit by a vehicle. According to the friend, she then heard Purley arguing with a man. While unsure if there was a physical altercation, she witnessed a gunshot and saw the man run westbound on Central.
Detectives obtained additional surveillance footage showing Dickens inside a smoke shop at 9:17 AM, shortly before the shooting, wearing the same clothes he wore later.
A confidential informant reported to detectives on Sunday that Dickens was bragging about shooting a homeless person near the intersection of Louisiana and Central. The informant stated that Dickens was laughing and giggling about the incident, boasting, “I have control over somebody’s life.”
Based on the evidence, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Dickens on charges of open murder and tampering with evidence.