Police Officer Richard W. Smith, Jr.

Richard W. Smith, Jr.

Police Officer Richard Smith and Police Officer Michael King were shot and killed while attempting to take a man into custody for a mental health evaluation.

The officers located the man at an address near the intersection of Ash Street SE and Gold Avenue SE. They were fired upon immediately upon arriving at the scene. Officer King was killed instantly, Officer Smith was transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds.

The suspect fled the scene on a motorcycle but was located approximately two hours later. He was injured when the motorcycle crashed as officers attempted to stop him. The suspect was charged with murdering Officer King and Officer Smith. He was also charged with two murders that had been committed earlier in the evening at a local motorcycle store at a fifth murder of a New Mexico Department of Transportation worker that had occurred that morning.

The suspect, 48, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, was later found incompetent to stand trial. He was sentenced to 179 years in a state mental institution. If he is ever found competent preparations for a trial will begin. On January 20, 2022, he was still deemed incompetent.

Officer Smith had served with the Albuquerque Police Department for 22 years. He is survived by his wife and daughter.