Albuquerque police chief will not be criminally charged for causing crash

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The New Mexico Department of Justice will not criminally charge Albuquerque Police Department Chief Harold Medina for causing a crash that seriously injured another driver. The office looked at crash reports put together by the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office that examined the February 17 traffic accident caused by Chief Medina.

The chief was on his way to a Saturday news conference with his wife in the car, when a man nearby fired a gunshot, and the chief botled into an intersection against a red light. The driver of the Mustang he hit was badly hurt.

The state’s Attorney General asked the sheriff’s department to conduct an independent investigation to determine if there should be criminal charges. The BCSO report said Medina did commit careless driving which is a misdemeanor that requires proof of operating a motor vehicle in a careless, inattentive, or imprudent manner.

The NMDOJ concluded that although Chief Medina’s action might satisfy the elements of careless driving, the chief was under duress because a man fired a gun toward his vehicle. They announced on Thursday afternoon that they will not seek prosecution.

APD Internal Affairs determined Chief Medina violated two department policies during the crash. Medina failed to safely operate his vehicle while on duty and failed to fully activate his on-body recording device following the crash. The department said Medina accepted and signed two letters of reprimand.

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