The family of a homeless camper has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Albuquerque police, for a fatal shooting that sparked protests and calls for reform throughout the city.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Friday in state district court, says the more than 40 officers who were dispatched to handle James Boyd had "no meaningful control" of the standoff, and their lack of training led to his death.
"Boyd, suffering from mental illness, was helpless to understand why officers were pointing guns at him, let alone able to comply with their orders," the lawsuit said.
"APD's standards for hiring, training, policies, oversight, or lack thereof, contributed to the unjustified killing of [Boyd]," the complaint continued, "as did Albuquerque's failure to take any action in the face of what was plainly an out of control police department."
Janet Blair, a spokeswoman for the Albuquerque Police Department, referred all questions on the lawsuit to the city attorney.
A helmet-camera video of the March shooting showed 38-year-old Boyd, who authorities say suffered from schizophrenia, gathering his belongings before officers opened fire.
The shooting sparked widespread calls for Albuquerque police reform, and the US Justice Department later released a scathing review of the agency's use of force.
The lawsuit seeks damages and an injunction requiring the city to take a series of actions.
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