Officer Makes Remark About Shooting Homeless Man 2 Hours Before Shooting
It was just two hours before Albuquerque Police Officer Keith Sandy shot and killed 38-year-old homeless camper James Boyd, that he was recorded telling another officer that he would shoot Boyd in the penis with a shotgun, according to KOB. Boyd’s death at the hands of police officers generated national outcry and protests throughout the city.
[su_center_ad]When Sandy responded to the scene on March 16th where Boyd refused to come down from a makeshift campsite in the foothills, he saw former colleague State Police Officer Chris Ware.
Ware’s dash cam was rolling and picked up their conversation but Sandy wasn’t aware of it.
Dialogue via KOB:
Sandy: What do they have you guys doing here?
Ware: I don’t know. The guy asked for state police.
Sandy: Who asked?
Ware: I don’t know.
Sandy: For this f***ing lunatic? I’m going to shoot him in the penis with a shotgun here in a second.
Ware: You got uh less-lethal?
Sandy: I got…
Ware: The Taser shotgun?
Sandy: Yeah.
Ware: Oh, I thought you guys got rid of those?
Sandy: ROP’s got one…here’s what we’re thinking, because I don’t know what’s going on, nobody has briefed me…
Civil rights attorney Shannon Kennedy represents Boyd’s family in a wrongful death suit against APD. Kennedy believes Sandy spelled out his intentions, then carried them out.
“Two hours later he’s escalating the situation so he can do just that,” Civil rights attorney Shannon Kennedy said. “It’s chilling evidence and stunning that he has not been criminally indicted. He says to a state police officer ‘that f’ing lunatic, I’m going to shoot him in the penis. It’s crystal clear and he says it with contempt in his voice.’”
When APD internal investigators asked Sandy in April about what he meant by the “shooting in the penis” comment, he is quoted as saying, “Jokingly, just kind of locker room banter, just told him, you know, ‘Don’t worry. I’ll shoot him in the pecker with this and call it good.’”
The transcript shows that Sandy recanted his statement a few minutes later when the investigator asked, “Did you say anything to Chris Ware about shooting him in the pecker?”
Sandy responded, “I don’t…no, I don’t think I did.”
KOB reports:
In the transcript, Sandy gave the internal investigators a lengthy explanation how the officers working in the Albuquerque Police Repeat Offenders Program (ROP) often make cruel and crude jokes. In fact, Sandy described the hostility among his peers getting so bad that the officers adopted a “safe word.” When officer use the safe word, CHINA, all jokes must stop. Sandy told investigators he was merely making a crude joke when he said he wanted to shoot Boyd in the penis.
“Of course it’s not a joke because he went forward and actually shot him,” Kennedy said. “Clearly he has complete disregard for people suffering from mental disabilities. He calls him an expletive lunatic and then in the next breath says I’m going to shoot him in the penis. What is so mortifying about this shooting, and thank goodness we have a tape to show exactly what he did– which is instead of shooting him in the penis, he shoots him in the lower back. So had James Boyd not turned around at that moment to set down his bags, he would have been shot in the penis.”
According to an APD spokeswoman, Sandy is on administrative leave, but may still carry his gun and badge.
Watch courtesy of KOB:
A video of the shooting:
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tracey marie September 29th, 2014 at 9:59 pm
I don’t get it. He was camping because he is homeless, he did nothing wrong, he was not grazing cattle on federal land without paying, he was not destroying the land with illehgal cattle grazing, he did not have a weapon or a militia threatening to kill American citizens…oh wait, he was black
whatthe46 September 29th, 2014 at 10:47 pm
he was actually a white guy this time.
tracey marie September 29th, 2014 at 10:58 pm
The pic I saw was back lite and I did think he was black. Either way, why why would they kill him?
whatthe46 September 29th, 2014 at 11:39 pm
he’s homeless and they forget that homeless people do have family that loves them. in their sick minds, who would care about him.
tracey marie September 29th, 2014 at 11:08 pm
I researched some more. He is white, mentally ill and camping in the foothills away from everyone and harming no one. The cops released a K-9 dog before they shot him, he had a knife, was not running towards anyone but was shot once in the back and another time in the arm. He lost an arm, lower intestine, and some organs in the attempt to save him.
tiredoftea September 29th, 2014 at 10:03 pm
Since our police forces spend a lot of money to train officers who are increasingly psychopaths, wouldn’t it be cheaper to give work release time and badges to violent inmates so they can patrol our streets?
KB723 September 29th, 2014 at 10:14 pm
Perhaps we already Do???
tiredoftea September 29th, 2014 at 10:29 pm
Other than fewer tattoo’s, maybe, there’s not a lot of difference!
KB723 September 29th, 2014 at 10:34 pm
I am really not sure… I have many family members in Law Enforcement, and rarely hear of these atrocities other than being online… There are good and there are bad, my question is: How do we find those who should not wear a badge???
tiredoftea September 29th, 2014 at 10:48 pm
Pick better politicians who then pick better police chiefs? Hire more women, fewer former military police?
KB723 September 29th, 2014 at 10:52 pm
That could be a great start, but either way: We pay their Salaries….
tiredoftea September 29th, 2014 at 11:41 pm
I’m entirely OK with that part. Voting for and hiring better decision makers in our cities and police forces goes a long way to solving the pathology of cops killing citizens. Neighborhood policing by resident cops makes a lot of the fear of harm go away.
If cops from the suburbs are afraid of the people they are supposed to be protecting from bad guys, makes the cops the bad guys, send those cops back to the suburbs and hire local cops who reside in, and understand the community’s concerns.
KB723 September 29th, 2014 at 11:45 pm
Fair Enough, but how does this apply to Ferguson???
tiredoftea September 30th, 2014 at 12:03 am
They start by voting.
KB723 September 30th, 2014 at 12:05 am
That’s a Broad Brush there, almost to say they had not???
tiredoftea September 30th, 2014 at 12:18 am
The voting percentages I’ve seen are 6% of Ferguson residents who went to the polls in the last election. The treatment they get won’t change until that number goes up and there is reasonably equal representation in City Hall.
What’s happened is beyond tragic, but perhaps not surprising in a mid west suburb in a country with unresolved racial issues and a low income, minority population who seem disinterested in how their city works.
greenfloyd September 30th, 2014 at 1:11 am
They don’t seem so “disinterested.” There are a lot of good people there who have been non-violently fighting for equal rights and justice a long time. There are also a lot of ordinary people there who have just had too much injustice for too long, and are taking it to the streets as I write this, months after the apparent murder of Michael Brown by FPD officer Darren Wilson.
tiredoftea September 30th, 2014 at 1:13 am
Yes, now. But it unfortunately took a death of a young man.
KB723 October 1st, 2014 at 6:42 pm
Excellent comment, I am sorry to get back with you so late in the game… I took a look around and this is what I found…
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/08/head-missouri-gop-calls-voter-registration-drives-ferguson-disgusting
tiredoftea October 1st, 2014 at 7:43 pm
Thanks, I remember reading that. The problems there are longstanding and will not be solved soon. The pollyanna in me says that using the vote is still the best way to change things. I hope that the awareness of the problems is enough to sustain them in their efforts.
KB723 October 1st, 2014 at 7:47 pm
Time will tell, it is up to them, but I must also add the last two times I voted for ‘Change’ was not much to write home about….
tiredoftea October 1st, 2014 at 8:23 pm
Yeah, we can always be disappointed by our votes. This is a very different situation where the egregious nature of the town council, police force and DA do not represent the populace. As long as the minority citizens of Ferguson don’t vote, they won’t get the basic, local representation that you, presumably, and I enjoy as citizens.
KB723 October 1st, 2014 at 8:43 pm
Presumably indeed….
whatthe46 September 29th, 2014 at 10:54 pm
their facebook pages and tweets. its a start.
KB723 September 29th, 2014 at 10:55 pm
Perhaps….
tracey marie September 29th, 2014 at 11:06 pm
there are tests that measi=ure a persons tempoment, darrell wilson was fired for being a violent racist along with the ENTIRE police force. All you have to do is listen and watch
KB723 September 29th, 2014 at 11:08 pm
Who Me??? I did not Hire them….
tracey marie September 29th, 2014 at 11:10 pm
I was answering your question on how do we find those who should not wear a badge?”
KB723 September 29th, 2014 at 11:14 pm
Okay, please excuse my misinterpretation, but do we ever really Know???
tracey marie September 29th, 2014 at 11:18 pm
We can have a better idea, not that hard to spot a psycopath
KB723 September 29th, 2014 at 11:20 pm
Can you explain G.W. Bush???
tracey marie September 29th, 2014 at 11:23 pm
damn, I can’t. I live in Texas and I still can’t explain it
KB723 September 29th, 2014 at 11:23 pm
Oh My…. =))=
greenfloyd September 30th, 2014 at 12:35 am
Perhaps… 5/4 … 9/11
whatthe46 September 29th, 2014 at 11:35 pm
actually, it may be. they all take psychological exams and are “interviewed” by a psychologist, psychopaths can pass these test.
burqa September 29th, 2014 at 11:45 pm
Correct.
One reason many serial killers got away with their crimes for so long was they seemed like normal people to their victims and others they encountered.
whatthe46 September 29th, 2014 at 11:57 pm
dennis rader in particular comes to mind. he was a bastard and not really liked by anyone other than family and friends. that describes a whole lotta people.
whatthe46 September 30th, 2014 at 12:29 am
something wacky is going on with my upvotes. i gave you an upvote for your post, but when i refreshed my page it was gone. so, just so you know, i agree with you.
fahvel September 30th, 2014 at 3:39 am
oh m’dear, it’s virtually impossible to spot a psychopath – that’s exactly why they are considered very dangerous – example: who was/is the psychopath, Bin Laden or Cheney?? think before you blurt.
extremepain September 30th, 2014 at 4:24 pm
Well, yes and no. There was either a PBS or BBC program dealing with the subject of just how many people are psychopathic. The vast majority are functional, and usually don’t make headlines. i assumed from what i saw in that program, that most Psychopaths are unaware of their condition, unless diagnosed. They also can seem as rational and calm as anyone, so it can be a tricky thing to capture. They tend to be the driven, workaholic, on the next big goal type of personalities, and are often effective in roles where their condition benefits in some way, i.e. —Sales, Marketing, et. al.
i will google, and see if i can find the program title, to share. It was an incredibly interesting and eye opening program.
burqa September 29th, 2014 at 11:30 pm
My guess is – and it’s just a guess – that they probably catch a lot of bad apples in screening and during training.
We have to remember that we’re talking about a very large group of people. The numbers of those in law enforcement in the U.S. has got to be in the hundreds of thousands.
In any group that large, regardless of whether they are athletes, po-lice, taxicab drivers, journalists, Christians, Jews, atheists, or members of a particular race or nationality, there are going to be a number of kooks. In our information age, it is easy to read or hear of a number of spectacular cases and draw a false conclusion that a small sampling represents the whole.
This arises from the failure of many of our citizens to learn critical thinking and logic (and possibly a failure of our schools to teach).
One of the most common logical fallacies is arguing from the particular to the general. This is illogical and often underlies stereotypical thinking.
We hear it when people falsely say that since all terrorists are Muslim (false in itself), then all Muslims must be terrorists.
We may as well point out that because all the 9-11 terrorists had black hair, that all people with black hair are terrorists.
But some people seem to be more susceptible to this kind of illogical thinking than others. They seem to have a NEED to stereotype and hate on a group they do not belong to. One thing that perpetuates this way of thinking is the willingness of others to tolerate it. We see it on the Left and Right in politics, where many on either side remain silent when they see their political allies engaging in ugly, hateful bigotry.
KB723 September 29th, 2014 at 11:39 pm
What would be do without the BoogeyMan??? Would our life have any meaning or purpose were we to walk around daily with nothing or anyone to Fear??? Would we see the light of how well we are being screwed by the left and right, were we to enjoy just a day of Peace??? Bludgeoned we are by our own misleading of voting those we seek as leaders, and cower in Fear of their own undoings….???
extremepain September 30th, 2014 at 4:13 pm
Bravissimo!
burqa September 29th, 2014 at 11:05 pm
Just like the case in Ferguson, I’m withholding judgment until all the facts are in.
But let’s say the facts are as they seem in the OP.
I can get a cop making a bad joke, a couple hours later shooting someone, and the two not being related. That is quite possible. We need to know what kind of a guy this cop is and if he has a reputation for being too aggressive or a record of being too rough on suspects.
But on the other hand, here we have a guy who joked about shooting a guy in the wee-wee with a stun gun, then he goes and shoots the victim. If this is a cop who was just looking for trouble and liked dealing physical abuse under color of authority and this was known to his colleagues, then there’s no need to put him on paid administrative leave.
If that is the case, and if indeed this is as open-and-shut as it seems, then Albuquerque has no reason to fear an unjust firing lawsuit.
whatthe46 September 29th, 2014 at 11:20 pm
you need to google the story, not just this article as it only gives you an update. even the coroner stated in his report it was homicide. this isn’t the only cop involved in this guys murder. and he didn’t say shoot him in the penis with a stun gun, he was talking about a real gun. it was the other cop that asked if he had a stun gun. as far as being “aggressive” how many reports must one be written up on, to be considered “aggressive?” do you count this, murdering an unarmed man for no reason a pass. what is it you propose? 3 strikes rule?
William September 29th, 2014 at 11:48 pm
Interestingly, all fatal shootings, even those that are justified are called homicides. When it gets called murder then it is a different matter.
whatthe46 September 30th, 2014 at 12:13 am
getting shot the back would classify as murder. but, that’s just me.
William September 30th, 2014 at 12:30 am
I agree
Rusty Shackleford September 30th, 2014 at 10:27 am
Withholding judgement of the cops until the cops finish investigating the cops and tell you that the cops are innocent of wrongdoing? Can’t see any flaw in THAT logic.
William September 29th, 2014 at 11:09 pm
I am also withholding opinion until the facts are in, and the video is dissected.
whatthe46 September 29th, 2014 at 11:33 pm
who are you relying on to “dissect” this video? the police that police themselves and determine the finding?
William September 29th, 2014 at 11:41 pm
I cannot see what if anything the deceased was reaching for or had in his hand during the altercation. I’m pretty sure the video will be dissected by the attorney generals office as well as experts hired by family of the deceased
rg9rts September 30th, 2014 at 9:15 am
Yeah the weapon he threatened to shoot off
whatthe46 September 30th, 2014 at 1:34 am
to KB723… “a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police Officer by the name of Jason Barriteau is the man behind an offensive Facebook page that attacked LGBT people, Jews, women, and people of different colors and races.” see what i mean?
Deborah September 30th, 2014 at 6:42 am
I’ll bet the safe word “China” was not used to stop the escalation of hostility of fellow officers, but to warn each other that they were being recorded.
rg9rts September 30th, 2014 at 9:14 am
To protect and serve……maybe safe word should be ISIS