Testimony begins in trial of a 20-year-old man charged in shooting at Albuquerque bus stop

Attorneys offered jurors differing accounts of Eric Purley’s shooting death at a Central Avenue bus stop at the trial of a 20-year-old man charged in the killing.

A defense attorney said in opening statements Tuesday that Joshua Dickens shot Purley, 46, in self-defense after the larger, intoxicated man approached Dickens aggressively and threatened him with a metal baton.

Prosecutors told jurors that Dickens was the aggressor, who turned and walked several steps back to the bus stop, then drew a handgun and fatally shot Purley in the chest in the 6800 block of Central, across from Expo New Mexico.

Dickens is charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence in Purley’s death. The 2nd Judicial District Court trial is scheduled to continue through Friday before Judge Clara Moran.

Jurors viewed security video Tuesday that showed Dickens walking quickly past a bus stop shelter, then stopping and walking back several steps to confront Purley as he emerged from the shelter.

The two appeared to exchange words before Dickens fired a single gunshot at Purley, who collapsed on the sidewalk on Central near Indiana, the video showed. Dickens then ran west on Central.

Albuquerque police found Purley lying on a sidewalk at 10:45 a.m. on May 18, 2024, with a single gunshot in his chest, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Metropolitan Court.

Dickens was identified by a “concerned citizen” who entered a police substation and said Dickens had admitted shooting a man on Central and laughing about the incident, the affidavit said. Dickens was known to be living in a car in the vicinity of San Pedro and Central SE.

Assistant District Attorney Daniela Tamarova told jurors that Dickens made a “deliberate and intentional choice” by walking back to the bus stop to confront Purley.

“Wh ile turning around, we also see (Dickens) draw his gun and point it straight into Mr. Purley’s face,” she said. “What I would urge you to focus on at this point is what were the choices that were being made by (Dickens) at this time.”

Prosecutors acknowledged that Purley emerged from the shelter holding what appeared to be a baton.

Dickens’ attorney, Sara Fossum, said witnesses will testify that Purley was intoxicated and began yelling at Dickens, then “aggressively approached and attacked him” with a heavy metal baton.

“This case is about a 19-year-old who was attacked by an intoxicated, larger man armed with a baton,” Fossum told jurors. Dickens was carrying the gun for protection, she said.

“This is a 19-year-old living on the streets of Albuquerque,” Fossum said. “He didn’t know what to do. He had no adults to call.”

Jurors also heard testimony Tuesday from Monique Otero, who described herself as Purley’s friend. She and Purley had planned to attend a flea market at Expo New Mexico that morning, but Otero said she abandoned the plan because Purley was intoxicated.

“I didn’t feel like he was sober enough to go to the flea market,” she told jurors. Purley got out of Otero’s car and was nearly struck by a car as he crossed Central in the middle of a block, she said.

Jurors viewed a second security video showing that an eastbound car on Central had to swerve into another lane to avoid striking Purley as he crossed the street near San Pedro. The video also showed Purley strike a bus stop shelter with a baton moments before the encounter between the two men.