Las Cruces PD releases 911 call, video from officer shooting that left 75-year-old dead

The Las Cruces Police Department on Friday released new information about the officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of 75-year-old Amelia Baca on Saturday.

A portion of the 911 call audio from that day, a portion of the officer's body camera video, photos from the body camera video, a photo of Baca, and information about the incident were released in a video from the Las Cruces Police Department.

According to the video, Baca's daughter called 911 and stated that her mother, Amelia Baca, suffered from dementia and was armed with a knife and threatening to kill her.

In the 911 call audio, Baca's daughter can be heard telling the 911 dispatcher that she was hiding in a bedroom with her husband and a small child and that her other daughter was in her bedroom.

Audio of 911 call made by Amelia Baca's daughter on April 16 (Credit: Las Cruces Police Department)

She also told dispatch that her mother was hitting the floor saying "she's gonna... kill me," according to the 911 call.

Amelia Baca allegedly began to throw hot water, according to her daughter on the 911 call.

Baca's daughter in the 911 call can be heard saying "mom you're scaring the little girl."

A young girl is then heard screaming during the 911 call.

Baca's daughter told dispatch that she was unsure if her mother took her medication the morning of the incident.

The 911 call was made around 6:34 p.m., police said.

The first officer arrived at 800 block of Fir Avenue in Las Cruces around 6:44 p.m., according to police.

The officer is seen on body camera video walking up to a home and making his presence known by saying "police department," according to the video released by police.

The officer began to talk to two women inside the residence, and asked the women to step out, police said.

As the women exited the home, one woman reportedly told the officer that Amelia Baca had knives in her hands. The second woman told the officer to be careful with Baca.

Photos from the officer's body camera showed Baca in the doorway of the home with town large kitchen knives in her hands.

The officer is seen pointing his gun at Baca.

Another photo shows Baca with both knives in one hand while the officer still has his gun pointed at Baca.

Baca and the officer were "in close proximity" of each other, police stated.

According to police, Baca never complied with the officer's commands to drop the knives.

The officer then shot his gun twice, hitting Baca.

Lifesaving measures were initiated, however, Baca died on the scene, according to a prior news release from police.

No one else was injured, police stated in the video.

The officer who shot Baca has been placed on administrative leave which is standard for such incidents, according to police.

Police also stated that the officer involved in this incident is currently assigned to the Patrol Division.

He has approximately nine years of service with the Las Cruces Police Department and more than 70 hours of Crisis Intervention Training beyond what he received in the police academy, police stated.

The Dona Ana County Officer-Involved Incident Task Force made up of the New Mexico State Police, the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office, the New Mexico State University Police Department, and the Las Cruces Police Department are investigating the incident.

The case will also be reviewed by the 3rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

"Conclusions as to whether the actions of the officer are consistent with the law and within the policy of the Las Cruces Police Department will not be made until the investigation is complete and the case is presented to the 3rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office for review," police stated in the video.

American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico (ACLU) has called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the shooting.

Anytime that a law enforcement officer discharges their weapon in the line of duty, we believe that those incidents should be thoroughly investigated and even more so when it involves a loss of life,” said Barron Jones, senior policy strategist at the ACLU of New Mexico. “ We see here in New Mexico all too often folks call 911 seeking help for their loved ones who may be experiencing some sort of mental health crisis. And that sort of ends and unnecessary violence. So we believe on investigating these events will not only sort of ferret out policy uses of force, but it will also serve as a training tool for our law enforcement communities so we can prevent these very tragic incidents from happening in the future.
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