Part of lawsuit dismissed against Farmington officers in fatal wrong address shooting
FARMINGTON, N.M. (KRQE) – Three Farmington police officers and the city have been sued by a family after police showed up at the wrong house, and shot to death the father. The family claims his constitutional rights were violated. However, a federal judge has ruled that the three officers are immune from that part of the lawsuit.
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That federal judge has dismissed part of the lawsuit. The family of Robert Dotson claimed that his Fourth Amendment rights, which are protection against unwarranted search and seizure, were violated by three Farmington police officers. In April 2023, 911 was called about a domestic violence incident at an address, but officers showed up at a home across the street. As officers were verifying the address, the homeowner came to the door. Dotson was armed with a handgun as he opened the door and aimed it into the night. Police fired, striking him 12 times, killing him.
The federal judge ruled that even though the officer's error was the reason they were at the house, that's not the reason they used force. The federal judge said Dotson's movement was perceived as an imminent threat by the officers, meaning their use of force was justified. At the time, Dotson's wife said her family was scared, but the court ruled that even if the family was afraid of being attacked by intruders, Dotson's movements towards officers were what caused the deadly use-of-force, even if he didn't know they were police.
The court ultimately said they were not provided with evidence to show the officers willfully violated Dotson's constitutional rights, but did say they were negligent.
KRQE News 13 reached out to the family's lawyer for a comment on the ruling, but did not hear back. A trial date has not been set for the lawsuit against the City of Farmington.
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