ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A man who was shot six times by Albuquerque police—despite not being the suspect they were pursuing—is now suing the city and the officers involved, accusing them of reckless conduct.
The incident happened just after midnight on June 29, 2023, when Albuquerque police opened fire on Jeramiah Salyards, a suspect wanted for stabbing a man at a McDonald’s drive-thru. Salyards was shot and killed near Louisiana Blvd. and Lomas Blvd., but in the process, two bystanders were also injured.
One of them, Reese Benally, is now suing the department and the four officers who opened fire—Brenda Johnson, Eric Wilensky, Violeta Baca, and Christian Cordova. According to the lawsuit, Benally suffered six gunshot wounds, resulting in permanent injuries. It also claims officers attempted to handcuff him after he had already been seriously wounded.
The lawsuit alleges that the officers acted recklessly by failing to secure the area or warn bystanders before firing their weapons. All four officers are no longer with the Albuquerque Police Department—three were fired, and one resigned before termination.
Benally’s lawsuit has been filed in federal court. A judge has not yet set a date for the first hearing. The City of Albuquerque responded to KRQE News 13 with a statement regarding the lawsuit and the officers’ employment status, but the details of that statement were not included.
Leave a Reply