Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) — At the Albuquerque City Council meeting Wednesday night, Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Samantha Sengel and Superintendent of Police Reform Eric Garcia provided an update on the investigation into the crash involving Chief Medina on Saturday, February 17, 2024 following gunfire. In most crashes involving APD officers, a supervisor goes to the scene to determine if addition investigation is needed. As the crash involved the Chief of Police, APD’s Traffic Investigators were called to the scene.
After a review of the on-scene investigation, the crash review board concluded that the February 17 crash was non-preventable. As with all serious crashes, the crash review board’s investigative file was sent to the District Attorney’s office. The City is inviting State Police to review the case.
The City is also completing a thorough Internal Affairs investigation into the incident to determine whether Chief followed APD policies and to ensure transparency and accountability. The Superintendent will formally request that the Internal Monitor, former Judge Victor Valdez, review the full investigation, in addition to asking the DOJ independent monitor, Dr. James Ginger, to evaluate the IA casework as part of the CASA process.
“Our processes in Internal Affairs are consistent for every level of officer in the department, including our Chief of Police,” said Superintendent Eric Garcia. “To ensure complete transparency, we are adding multiple layers of review above and beyond what is required in similar situations.”
Immediately after the crash, Chief Medina took a drug and alcohol test, as is required under City policy. Chief voluntarily released the results of the tests, which were negative.
“We know how important transparency is with our police department, which is why we’re inviting multiple levels of outside review on top of the already extensive investigation,” said CAO Samantha Sengel.
The Office of the Superintendent will release updates as they are available.
