APD Releases Details of Recent Officer-Involved Shooting in Downtown Albuquerque
Dec. 23, 2022
SUMMARY OF INCIDENT
Date of Incident: Nov. 10, 2022
Location: 401 Roma Blvd., N.W.
Nov. 8, 2022 -- Disturbance at Bank
On Nov. 8, 2022, a security officer working near the Bank of the West at 303 Roma Ave. NW, called 911 at 9:40 a.m. and reported Jesus Crosby threatened bank employees and customers after getting upset about not being able to withdraw money from his account due to lack of funds. The security officer said Crosby threw a landscape rock through the front business window toward the security officer when Mr. Crosby was asked to leave.
An officer responded to the call and documented a police report for criminal damage after the security guard indicated the cost to repair the damaged window would be about $1,200.
Prisoner Transport Unit Sgt. Gregory Mondragon was working at the Real Time Crime Center when this occurred and advised officers to use caution because Crosby had several arrests for aggravated assaults, carrying deadly weapons, assaults and batteries on police officers, and he did not cooperate with officers. Sgt. Mondragon also recognized Crosby from several criminal trespass incidents at the Prisoner Transport Center.
Jesus Crosby was documented with the Crisis Intervention Unit and was apparently diagnosed with Schizophrenia. Officers were not able to locate Crosby, so the officer indicated he would forward his report to the District Attorney’s Office for possible prosecution.
Nov. 10, 2022 – Interaction with officers
In the early morning hours of Nov. 10, 2022, PTC Sgt. Mondragon observed Jesus Crosby standing in front of transport center, located at 401 Roma Ave., N.W. Sgt. Mondragon recognized Crosby from prior criminal trespass arrests and incidents, and he knew Mr. Crosby had a current criminal trespass notification not to be at the Prisoner Transport Center. Sgt. Mondragon recalled Crosby was accused of felony criminal damage two days earlier at the Bank of the West.
Sgt. Mondragon advised APD Radio Dispatch and called for assisting officers to detain Crosby. Officer Josh De Leon, who just finished booking a prisoner at the Prisoner Transport Center, walked outside and observed Sgt. Mondragon and Crosby near the southeast corner of the Prisoner Transport Center.
Officer De Leon and Sgt. Mondragon followed Crosby in their police vehicles as he walked south on 4th St. toward the east side of the Main Police Station. Crosby told the officers multiple times to just shoot him as he walked away.
Officer De Leon and Sgt. Mondragon approached Crosby on the sidewalk on the east side of the Main Police Station. Officer De Leon identified himself as a police officer with the Albuquerque Police Department, and told Crosby he was not free to leave and was being detained. Crosby yelled profanities at the officers (Fuck You!) and indicated he was “dead or going to die anyway.” Officer De Leon approached Crosby to detain him, and Crosby lunged toward the officer with a white and blue plastic object in his left hand and a small apparent knife in his right hand.
Officer De Leon and Sgt. Mondragon both drew their Electronic Control Weapons (Tasers) and stepped back, giving Crosby numerous commands to drop the knife. Crosby grimaced and yelled as if he were going to be tazed, and he told the officers to just kill him. Officer De Leon told Crosby they did not want to kill him, and repeatedly told Crosby to put the knife down or he would be tazed. Crosby refused, and turned and walked away from the officers into the Main Police Station Parking lot. Crosby raised his left arm up, moved his right leg back behind his left leg in a fighting stance, and kept the knife in his right hand back as if he were ready to use it as he faced the officers.
Additional officers arrived to assist as Crosby backed up toward the northwest corner of the parking lot. The officers told Crosby to drop the knife repeatedly and indicated they did not want to have to taze him. Crosby lunged forward toward the officers, raised the knife slightly, and yelled, “I’m dead!” Officers told Crosby if he took one more step towards them, they were going to shoot him and taze him.
Crosby removed several items from his pockets, including a phone, Carmex lip balm, cash, and a Criminal Trespass Notice from the Prisoner Transport Center, and he threw the items to the ground. Officers continued to tell Crosby to drop the knife, but Crosby refused. Crosby made two additional lunges toward the officers with his knife slightly raised in his right hand and back behind him. Officers discharged their firearms and Tasers simultaneously.
Officers removed the weapon, which turned out to be nail clippers with the pointed file extended, and rendered aid to Crosby who was transported to the hospital, where he died as a result of his injuries.
Subject: Jesus Crosby, 41
Involved Officers:
Chance Gore, who has been with the department since 2020, has not been involved in prior officer-involved shootings.
Alex Couch, who has been with the department since 2020, has not been involved in prior officer-involved shootings.
Over the next several months, APD will continue to investigate and analyze this incident. Detectives will continue interviewing any new witnesses that come forward and complete any forensic tests. After the investigation is complete, APD’s Force Review Board will forward the findings to the Superintendent of Police Reform to determine if this incident met the high standards of the Albuquerque Police Department. The Multi-Agency Task Force will forward its case to the District Attorney’s Office to make any determination of criminal charges.