Deputy's second fatal shooting being investigated by Task Force

Investigators say there is “no indication” Joseph Ramos fired his handgun before being killed by a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s deputy during a standoff last month.

Ramos, 46, was killed by a single shot to the back of his head from the rifle of BCSO Deputy Joshua Mora on Nov. 12, according to an update provided Monday by the Multi-Agency Task Force investigation that is being led by APD at Sheriff John Allen’s request.

The task force issued an update Monday that included extensive body-camera footage of the incident.

APD spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said that Mora, who was placed on administrative leave after the shooting, has since returned to duty.

The incident is Mora’s second on-duty shooting. The other happened in 2017 when he opened fire on a stolen truck and shot the driver and an unarmed passenger after a pursuit on Albuquerque’s West Side. Multiple lawsuits were filed that resulted in $3.3 million in settlements.

The most recent case with Mora involves a man who police say threatened to take his life in front of deputies.

The shooting

At 5:53 a.m. Nov. 12, according to the task force, Ramos drove to the Bernalillo County Fire Station at 6697 Fourth NW in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and called 911. He told firefighters he had a handgun and had used methamphetamine.

The task force states Ramos “appeared to possibly be suffering a mental health episode.”

When deputies arrived at the fire station, a deputy trained in crisis intervention and another firefighter attempted to talk to Ramos. While they determined Ramos was not posing a threat to anyone but himself, deputies also thought Ramos “could attempt to induce a shooting with deputies,” according to the task force.

After deputies left the scene, according to the task force, Ramos backed his vehicle into traffic on Fourth SW. Two BCSO-marked cars blocked Ramos’ vehicle. The BCSO then sent out its crisis negotiations team and tried to negotiate with Ramos, who was making suicidal threats related to “having deputies shoot him.”

After using gas munitions to get Ramos to comply with their demands, Ramos leaned his head out of the vehicle with a handgun pointed under his chin, according to the task force release. Mora saw Ramos move the firearm from his chin and aim it toward Mora and other deputies. As deputies were about to use more gas, Mora shot Ramos in the back of the head with a rifle, killing him.

“There is no indication Ramos fired his handgun during the incident,” according to the task force.

Gallegos said the investigation will continue “over the next several months.” After it is complete, the case will be sent to prosecutors to determine if charges will be filed against Mora.

Truck shooting

In Mora’s first on-duty shooting, on Nov. 17, 2017, he killed Martin Jim, 25, and Isaac Padilla, 23, after Padilla led deputies on a chase in a stolen vehicle through parts of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.

Jim, who was unarmed, was a passenger in a truck that police had crashed into to force it off the road, before Mora opened fire.

No criminal charges were filed against Mora.

There were two other passengers in the truck who received $40,000 each as part of the $3.3 million settlement.

BCSO spokeswoman Jayme Fuller said Monday that Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman recused himself from the current case because he represented Jim’s family in 2017. Instead, once the task force’s investigation ends, the case will go to the Attorney General’s Office or a district attorney from another county.