Officers arrest two protesters after police shooting in Albuquerque

Oct. 19—Officers arrested two people Friday night as a crowd protested a fatal police shooting outside a motel on East Central.

Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque police spokesman, said Sean Kinney, 21, and Emery Schmidt, 34, were booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center.

Schmidt was charged with battery upon a peace officer, a fourth-degree felony, and refusing to obey or comply with an officer, a misdemeanor. Kinney is charged with resisting, evading or obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor, and disorderly conduct, a petty misdemeanor.

Police say Schmidt struck an officer in the shoulder and neck as officers tried to take Kinney into custody after he tore the crime scene tape put up “to show the line that the protesters could not cross.” At the time, according to police, protesters were trying to enter the scene of a police shooting as the Multi-Agency Task Force investigated the incident.

Schmidt and Kinney were ordered released on their own recognizance by Saturday morning.

The protest occurred within hours of police shooting a man to death as he was handcuffed outside the Tewa Lodge at Central and Alvarado. Police say the man had a gun and was shot during a struggle as officers tried to take the firearm away from him.

It is unclear if officers patted the man down for weapons when he was handcuffed and placed in the police SUV. Albuquerque police have not released the man’s identity.

Gallegos said in a statement Saturday that “officers tried to accommodate protesters while protecting the integrity of an a active crime scene investigation.”

“Unfortunately, some individuals escalated their behavior and attempted to disrupt the actions of officers. One person struck an officer as he tried to arrest another person,” he said. “While we support the right to protest, officers and detectives must be able to perform their duties.”

Gallegos said the department was releasing officers’ lapel video of the scuffles with protesters on Saturday “because there is misinformation being spread online about the arrests.”

In one video, a person walks up and tears the crime scene tape, used to set the perimeter for investigations, and officers move in to detain the person. Several people try to stand in front of the person who tore the tape and a scuffle ensues with police.

During the scuffle, not much can be seen as screams are heard before police pin at least one protester to the ground and handcuff them while another officer pushes people in the crowd.

After things calm…