Case (Not) Closed
In this week's episode, Reported dives into the longstanding problem with how police shootings are handled in New Mexico, where officers have killed more people by population than in any other state three of the past four years.
How district attorneys decide whether an officer's action crosses over into criminal conduct in a shooting differs from one district to the next, and the processes are secretive. That sows distrust, especially in non-white communities, where the effects of over-policing nearly always hit hardest.
Shooting reviews also can drag on, sometimes for years, leaving victims' families and officers alike on tenterhooks. After they're completed, those making recommendations to a DA aren't required to describe how they reached their decisions.
The problems are exemplified by the killing of Anthony Benavidez, a 24-year-old man with pschizophrenia.