Bernalillo County sheriff and deputy facing new lawsuit after man shot, killed

BERNALILLO COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) — A shooting during a stand-off with a man having a mental health crisis last November has now landed Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) personnel in a new lawsuit.

The daughter of Joseph Ramos is suing Bernalillo County, BCSO Sherrif John Allen, and BCSO Deputy Joshua Mora. Ramos was killed in a barricade incident with law enforcement last November while having a mental health crisis.

According to BCSO , Ramos showed up armed at a fire station and called 911, saying he wanted to harm himself. Eventually, BCSO said he backed his car down 4th Street and hit a median, making him unable to continue driving.

The Crisis Negotiation Team tried to get Ramos to peacefully step out of his car, but they claimed he wouldn’t.

According to the lawsuit, without warning, deputies deployed non-lethal chemicals into his car. It also claimed, that about five minutes later, behind an armored vehicle, Deputy Mora fired a shot hitting Ramos in the head. The suit stated that by the time BCSO was able to perform medical aid, he had died.

The lawsuit claimed Ramos had expressed his fear of law enforcement and that BCSO and Deputy Mora used ‘excessive and unjustified’ force against Ramos. It specifically called Deputy Mora’s actions ‘reckless, wanton, or malicious.’

Shortly after the shooting, BCSO said Deputy Mora fired the shot because he said he saw Ramos move the gun from his chin towards deputies, and that other law enforcement on scene witnessed the same.

Deputy Mora was involved in another deadly shooting in 2017 in which the county paid out $1.75 million to settle the lawsuits that followed.

The plaintiff’s attorney did not respond to KRQE’s request for comment. In a statement, BCSO said it does not comment on pending litigation. BCSO also confirmed that Deputy Mora is still employed by the sheriff’s office.

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