Judge Rules Police Acted Reasonably in Fatal Shooting at Wrong Address in New Mexico

Lawyers for the Dotson family have argued that officers did not give 52-year-old Robert Dotson sufficient time to comply with commands before shooting him.
Judge Rules Police Acted Reasonably in Fatal Shooting at Wrong Address in New Mexico
A police officer knocks on the door of the wrong address in response to a domestic violence call, in Farmington, N.M., on April 5, 2023, in a still from police body camera video. Farmington Police Department via AP
Rudy Blalock
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A federal judge has dismissed a key portion of a lawsuit brought by the family of a New Mexico man fatally shot by police after officers mistakenly arrived at his home in response to a domestic violence call.

The incident occurred late on April 5, 2023, when Farmington police officers knocked on the door of 52-year-old Robert Dotson’s home, responding to a call but mistakenly going to the wrong address.