Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office details deputy shooting that left man dead in North Valley

A man’s attempt to burglarize a car dealership in the North Valley last month ended when Bernalillo County deputies fatally shot the man after he fired several bullets at them.

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday released video and other evidence from the Sept. 20 shooting that left 41-year-old Jonathan Dykstra dead behind a dumpster outside a car dealership.

The shooting was the third by BCSO deputies this year, according to spokesperson Jayme Gonzales. All three shootings have been fatal.

BCSO was dispatched to Forthright Auto at 6724 Second NW, near Osuna, around 8:45 p.m. after receiving an alert that an alarm was triggered. Deputies spoke with the owners of the business, who told them the front window had been shattered.

Additional units, including a K-9, were requested and deputies cleared the inside of the dealership with a drone while searching for a burglar.

Deputies found Dykstra hiding inside a dumpster near the dealership around 9:15 p.m. Lapel camera video showed a deputy open the gate to the dumpster and Dykstra could be seen holding a gun in the corner of the dumpster before he fired three shots at deputies.

“You can see just how close it was that our deputies were to a very tragic encounter with this individual,” said BCSO Chief Deputy Nicholas Huffmyer.

Deputy Marco Baldonado, who has been with BCSO for eight years with no prior shootings, fired three shots at Dykstra while he and other deputies took cover behind cars in the parking lot, Huffmyer said.

Gunfire could be heard in Baldonado’s lapel footage as officers scream to take cover. Baldonado shouts at Dykstra to show his hands and Dykstra, is seen poking his head over a wall. Baldonado immediately returns fire and asks Dykstra to show his hands before firing two more shots.

“After that, they lost sight of the subject because he did flee over the wall of that enclosure,” Huffmyer said.

BCSO deputies launched a drone with thermal imaging and found Dykstra lying face down on the ground behind the dumpster with two gunshot wounds, according to Huffmyer.

“They immediately began rendering first aid until emergency medical personnel arrived,” Gonzales wrote in a news release. “Despite these efforts, Dykstra was pronounced deceased on scene.”

Deputies were able to recover bullet casings, both from Dykstra and Baldonado, as well as a handgun that was later determined to be stolen from the dealership during the burglary.

Deputies found that Dykstra had made multiple burglary attempts at the same dealership and had a previous record that included breaking and entering, shoplifting and burglary charges. Court records show several of those cases were dismissed because witnesses or law enforcement did not show up to court.

BCSO Sheriff John Allen emphasized the importance of awareness and safety as the holidays approach — a time when burglary crimes and theft often increase.

“We want the public to understand and be cognizant with the holidays coming up,” Allen said. “We don’t want it to come down to a deadly force situation with a resident and someone else that’s committing crime. When you protect life, it’s different than just protecting property.”