Father of shot veteran concerned about ‘vigilantism’

The father of a 24-year-old Army veteran shot dead by a neighbor says he’s “shocked and dismayed” that his son survived Iraq only to come home to “die in the sands of Albuquerque.”

Jonathan Mitchell, a resident of Ventana Ranch in far northwest Albuquerque, died when he fired first and was hit in an exchange of gunfire with a neighbor, Donnie Pearson, during a bizarre incident Tuesday night.

Mitchell’s father, Isaac Mitchell, said on Saturday that he’s concerned by what he termed the “vigilantism of neighbors” and that the neighbors should have allowed police to handle the matter.

Albuquerque Police spokeswoman Tasia Martinez said APD intends to forward the results of its investigation to the District Attorney’s Office so it can determine whether any laws were broken and by whom.

The Albuquerque NAACP on Saturday issued a statement saying it was “deeply concerned” about circumstances surrounding “the killing of an African American war veteran,” describing it as an “unfortunate and preventable tragedy.”

“We want to ensure that a full and fair investigation is conducted,” NAACP President Harold Bailey said in a phone interview.

The incident began shortly before 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, when Ventana Ranch resident Jose Beltran, arrived home from work and saw a man in his driveway brandishing a weapon. Beltran told police he drove off and called his family to warn them. One of Beltran’s family members then called Pearson to warn him about an armed man in the neighborhood. Pearson and his 15-year-old son drove to Beltran’s home to check on his welfare. Pearson, who was licensed to carry a concealed weapon, told police Mitchell stepped out from his garage and fired at him and his son in their vehicle.

Pearson returned fire and struck Mitchell, who was able to run to another back yard before he collapsed.

Isaac Mitchell described his son as “a softspoken man with a great heart,” who played sports on the track and football teams at La Cueva High School. Mitchell said his son enlisted in the Army “because he wanted to make a difference.”

Asked if his son had exhibited any problems since returning from the war, Mitchell would only say, “No one comes back from the war zone unchanged.”
— This article appeared on page B01 of the Albuquerque Journal