LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - A detective assigned to investigate a 2014 deadly shooting involving two Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputies says she was deliberately obstructed by her supervisors because she had previously reported sexual misconduct within the detectives’ unit at the Las Cruces Police Department.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports (https://bit.ly/2nktMQw) Detective Irma Palos leveled the allegations in a whistleblower lawsuit filed last fall.
The retrial of Tai Chan, the former deputy accused of killing his partner, is set for May. Authorities have said the shooting followed an alcohol-fueled argument during a stopover in Las Cruces while the deputies were transporting an inmate.
Palos’ allegations call into question the integrity of the investigation.
The city of Las Cruces in a separate court filing disputes the accusations. The city wants Palos’ complaint to be dismissed.
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Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News, https://www.lcsun-news.com
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