Multi-Agency Task Force leads the in-custody investigation; OMI to determine cause and manner of death.
CEDAR CREST, N.M. — Bernalillo County authorities say an Albuquerque police officer died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound shortly after midnight Thursday while deputies were serving an arrest warrant at his Cedar Crest home, prompting an in-custody death investigation and a parallel medical examiner review.
Officials said the case entered the in-custody category because it unfolded during a warrant operation, regardless of whether deputies used force. The Multi-Agency Task Force is handling the independent investigation, a process that typically includes scene reconstruction, interviews, and reviews of dispatch audio and on-scene announcements. The Office of the Medical Investigator will issue the final cause and manner of death. Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen called the case complex and said his office would release updates as the investigation progresses. Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said his department had tried to coax the officer to surrender earlier in the day.
Deputies launched the case Wednesday morning after East Mountains school staff reported a woman and child had reached safety following a domestic violence incident. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant later that day. Special Operations deputies went to the home on Piñon Trail, issued repeated commands for the suspect to exit, and established a perimeter. No deputies fired their weapons, authorities said. Fire damage inside the home delayed further entry late Wednesday, and entry teams discovered the officer dead after midnight Thursday.
Authorities said the warrant sought arrest on counts that included kidnapping, criminal sexual penetration, false imprisonment, interference with communications, battery on a household member and child abuse. Investigators plan to retrieve and analyze physical evidence from the damaged rooms, gather electronic communications related to the incident, and obtain court records tied to protection orders or prior calls for service. APD said the officer had been with the department since 2023. The Albuquerque Community Safety Department is supporting the woman and child with services.
Independent reviews of deaths during law enforcement operations typically proceed on separate tracks. The task force inquiry is expected to produce a factual report for prosecutors to review, while OMI’s autopsy and toxicology will determine medical findings. Officials did not give a date for preliminary results. Sheriff’s officials said they would examine the timing of commands, the decision points around entry, and how fire conditions affected the operation’s pace. Medina said the department is reminding officers about counseling and behavioral health resources following the death.
Neighbors described a large response on the narrow road off N.M. 14, with law enforcement and fire units staged near the home. By early morning, investigators were still processing the scene as smoke odor lingered in the cool air. Deputies remained on site as fire and crime scene personnel conducted separate examinations of the structure. No deputies were injured. The woman and child connected with services overnight, authorities said.
Officials said they would release more information after OMI issues preliminary findings and the task force completes early interviews. The next expected milestone is a status update later this month, with the final reports to follow. The victims remain safe, and the house remains secured for evidence processing.
Author note: Last updated November 10, 2025.