Violent Career Criminal’s Life Ends in Street Justice

Albuquerque –

Many lives were impacted by 51-year-old Roman Kirby in a 3 decade span.

In his last hours of life he reigned terror on the Duke City in a a February 3rd, 2026 critical incident. Kirby earlier in the day abandoned his vehicle near Eubank and I-40 after driving like a mad man crashing into vehicles and objects. After exiting his abandoned vehicle he began waving a gun at drivers on I-40. Eventually Kirby decided to hunker down in the arroyo separating eastbound and westbound lanes of I-40 near Eubank Blvd., N.E.

I-40 was closed for hours while police tried to deescalate the situation and take him into custody peacefully. Kirby had other plans and decided to make violent actions toward APD which led to an officer involved shooting. A majority of the comments on our social media celebrated that street justice caught up with Kirby with his death.

What was apparent is the court and prison system could not rehabilitate him..

Criminal History Dating Back Nearly Three Decades

Kirby has a criminal history that dates back to 1996 and includes multiple violent and drug-related offenses. Records show he was charged three times with possession of a firearm or destructive device by a felon, and he pleaded guilty twice, in 1998 and 2012. He was also charged twice with a “firearm enhancement,” but under plea agreements for other offenses he was not convicted on those enhancement counts. In addition to those firearm cases, Kirby’s record includes numerous New Mexico Corrections Department bookings for violent and drug offenses, including two counts of bribery of a witness, two counts of shooting at or from a motor vehicle causing great bodily harm, one count of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, trafficking controlled substances (cocaine and methamphetamine), two counts of possession of a weapon or explosive by a prisoner, two counts of attempted first-degree murder (felony murder), two counts of shooting at a dwelling or occupied building, two counts of resisting, evading, or obstructing an officer, and one count of distribution/possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

On April 16, 1997, an Albuquerque Police Officer was involved in a shooting incident where Kirby engaged in a shootout with the officer.

2010 Shooting and Arrest

On December 14, 2010, at approximately 10:21 AM, officers from the Albuquerque Police Department were dispatched to a reported shooting inside a residence in the 12000 block of Yorba Linda Dr. SE. Initial information indicated that the suspect, Roman Kirby, had shot his father in the leg during a domestic dispute and fled the residence on foot.

Responding officers located a man matching the suspect’s description walking near Dorado Pl SE and Tomlinson Dr SE. The man was contacted, identified as Kirby, and taken into custody without incident.

While officers were near Dorado Pl SE and Tomlinson Dr SE, dispatch advised that the shooting victim had armed himself and left the residence on Yorba Linda SE in a Ford F-150. Moments later, the vehicle being driven by the shooting victim arrived in the area at a high rate of speed and failed to stop when officers attempted contact. Officers followed the truck as it drove erratically through the neighborhood for several minutes before returning to the residence on Yorba Linda, where it was parked in the driveway.

Officers then approached the residence and made contact with Kirby’s mother, who was identified as the individual who placed the 911 call. After she was removed from the residence, officers entered to ensure all occupants were secured and to check for additional victims. Inside the home, officers observed a small silver semiautomatic handgun on a kitchen counter and a black assault-style rifle on a bed in one of the bedrooms. The residence and the vehicle were secured pending the issuance of search warrants. Blood smears were observed inside the Ford F-150.

Rescue personnel transported the shooting victim to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where he was treated for what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the left hip.

Domestic Dispute Details

According to investigators, the shooting followed an argument inside the residence over Kirby’s refusal to seek employment. The victim reported that he arrived home from work and heard his wife and son arguing in the son’s bedroom. As the argument escalated, he entered the room to intervene.

Kirby reportedly stated he would not get a job because he was “a con and a thug.” He then retrieved a silver handgun from a bedroom closet, chambered a round, and initially pointed the weapon at the victim’s head before lowering it and firing one shot into the victim’s hip.

The victim fell to the ground and pretended to be in severe pain in hopes Kirby would not shoot again. Kirby’s mother threw herself over the victim, pleading for her son to leave the house. Kirby demanded the keys to a vehicle but was not given them. He searched the parents’ bedroom for the keys, during which a brief physical altercation occurred between him and his mother, before he fled the residence through the back door.

After Kirby fled, the victim retrieved a .22 rifle from a closet and placed it on the bed for his wife to use if necessary. He then armed himself with a handgun and left the residence in an attempt to locate Kirby, later explaining he feared Kirby was still armed and might harm neighbors.

Kirby’s mother later told investigators that after the shooting, Kirby pointed the handgun at her head while she attempted to call 911. She regained control of the phone after a struggle and contacted police. She also stated that after Kirby fled, she observed the handgun used in the shooting on the kitchen counter and began removing Kirby’s belongings from his bedroom, placing them in the trash because she wanted him out of the house.

Medical imaging later showed no bullet or fragments remaining in the victim’s body, and doctors determined the injury was consistent with a gunshot wound.

Kirby was advised of his Miranda rights at the scene but refused to cooperate with investigators.

Federal Charges and Sentence

Later that afternoon, officers executed search warrants at the residence and the vehicle. A silver .32-caliber semiautomatic pistol was recovered from the kitchen counter, along with a spent casing and projectile found near the bedroom closet. The firearm was identified as a Davis Industries model P-32 and was loaded with five rounds of ammunition. The weapon was test-fired and found to be operational.

A criminal history check revealed that Kirby had numerous prior felony convictions punishable by more than one year in prison, making it unlawful under federal law for him to possess a firearm or ammunition. Investigators also determined the firearm was manufactured outside New Mexico, placing the offense under federal jurisdiction.

Kirby was charged by federal criminal complaint and later indicted on February 10, 2011, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He was arrested on the federal charge on March 29, 2011, and transferred from state custody to federal custody.

On August 30, 2011, Kirby entered a conditional guilty plea that preserved his right to appeal the denial of a motion to dismiss. On January 12, 2012, a U.S. District Judge sentenced Kirby to 188 months (just over 15 years) in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Freeway Standoff Ends in Death

More than a decade later, Kirby again became the focus of a major police operation.

After more than six hours of negotiations, an officer-involved shooting occurred. Kirby was pronounced dead at the scene.

The following day, police identified the suspect as Roman Kirby, then 51 years old. Investigators said Kirby had abandoned his vehicle near I-40 after driving erratically and crashing into vehicles and objects. He was reported to have waved a handgun at motorists before taking cover in an arroyo separating eastbound and westbound lanes near Eubank Blvd.

Officers attempted to negotiate with Kirby for hours. Police said he refused to comply with commands, pointed a gun at officers, and fired at a police drone monitoring his movements. Crisis negotiators reportedly attempted 99 phone calls during the standoff before the situation escalated to deadly force.