Brickbat: Wrong Door

Farmington, New Mexico, officials have agreed to pay $6 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a family whose father was shot and killed by Farmington police. On April 5, 2023, three officers were dispatched at around 11:30 p.m. to a reported domestic violence call at 5308 Valley View Avenue. Instead, they went to 5305 Valley View Avenue, the home of Robert Dotson. Officer Dylan Goodluck had used Google Maps, which correctly identified 5308, and continued to question whether they were at the correct house, but he deferred to senior officer Waylon Wasson, who insisted they were at the right address. The officers knocked several times and identified themselves as police, during which time Goodluck again pointed out the address discrepancy, and Wasson asked dispatch to confirm the correct house number, which came back again as 5308. But when Dotson answered the door holding a handgun, Wasson yelled for him to put his hands up, and within two seconds, all three officers opened fire, hitting Dotson 12 times. Dotson’s wife then exchanged gunfire with the officers but was not injured. The officers faced no criminal charges, and they did not admit liability as part of the civil settlement.