APD releases name of man fatally shot by police in NE ABQ

Albuquerque police on Monday identified the 67-year-old man shot and killed by an officer Friday morning after he said he “wanted to hurt himself” while armed with a gun.

David McElvain was shot and killed at his Northeast Albuquerque apartment.

Around 8:15 a.m. on Friday, a woman called 911 to report that her coworker said “he wanted to hurt himself,” Albuquerque Police Deputy Chief Cecily Barker said during a news conference after the shooting. The Albuquerque Community Safety department responded to McElvain’s apartment, Villa La Charles, in the 12200 block of Montgomery NE, just west of Tramway.

The man would not answer the door or respond to ACS, Barker said. Officers then arrived, and the man answered the door.

McElvain reportedly made statements about “death by suicide,” APD spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said Monday evening.

After identifying themselves as police officers, the officers said McElvain took out a gun, Gallegos said. Police ordered him to drop the gun and an officer fatally shot him, Gallegos said.

“Over the next several months, APD will continue to investigate and analyze this incident,” he said. “Detectives will continue interviewing any new witnesses that come forward and complete any forensic tests.”

A Multi-Agency Task Force will forward its case to the district attorney’s office to determine whether criminal charges will be filed, Gallegos said.

“APD’s Internal Affairs Division will also investigate the shooting to determine whether department policies were followed,” he said. “The results of the administrative investigation will be forwarded to the city’s Superintendent of Police Reform to make final decisions on discipline.”

APD’s Force Review Board will review the incident to “identify trends and potential policy changes that may be needed in response to any shortcomings that are identified,” Gallegos said.