Thursday’s Top News
Five events of Thursday
(1) Memorial Service Honoring NMSP Officer Justin Hare – Hundreds of people gathered in Albuquerque to honor Officer Justin Hare, who was shot and killed near Tucumcari nearly two weeks ago. Services were held Wednesday at Legacy Church in northwest Albuquerque where fellow officers and family members shared tearful words, heartfelt goodbyes and memories of the 35-year state police officer who spent six years with NMSP. The man accused of killing Officer Hare, Jeremy Smith, is now in federal custody facing the possibility of the death penalty.
(2) Man Speaks Out About T-Bone Injury By APD Police Chief – The man seriously injured in a T-bone accident caused by Albuquerque’s police chief last month is speaking out, saying the actions left him with life-changing injuries. Todd Perchert was driving through the intersection of Central and Alvarado when Chief Medina ran a red light and struck Perchert. Medina said he and his wife were on their way to a press conference and pulled over to two men in the middle of a fight when they heard gunshots, saying he ran a red light to get out of harm’s way. Perchert suffered a broken collarbone, shoulder blade, eight broken ribs and a collapsed lung in the accident. The Percherts are now expected to file a lawsuit. They are questioning why APD is conducting its own internal investigation and why Medina was pulled over in the first place without turning on his lapel camera.
(3) Thursday in New Mexico is much milder with light winds – temperatures will start in the 20s and 30s, warming to the 60s and 70s this afternoon. Temperatures will be much warmer than Wednesday and again warmer than normal Winds will be around 20 to 35 mph. There will be more wind on Friday, especially across eastern New Mexico, where there will also be a high fire risk. Temperatures will rise further on Friday.
(4) BCSO Operation South Valley Crackdown on Speeders – BCSO cracked down on speeders with a traffic operation focused on the Coors and Rio Bravo areas. Deputies stopped 48 drivers and issued 118 citations, including 42 for speeding. Earlier this month, BCSO’s traffic unit targeted Paseo Del Norte, where deputies stopped 60 drivers and issued more than 100 citations. BCSO has not specified where its next operations will be but said it will focus on areas of the county where street racing has been a reported problem.
(5) Isotopes Unveil New LED Stadium Lighting System – Albuquerque Isotopes and the City of Albuquerque unveiled a state-of-the-art LED lighting system at Isotopes Stadium. The new custom-designed lights consist of approximately 186 fixtures. The new system increases light levels more evenly throughout the ballpark, which improves visibility and reduces glare for fans and players tracking the baseball. The Isotopes’ first game of the season is Friday against the El Paso Chihuahuas at 6:35 p.m
