Albuquerque Promises Taxes Won't Go Up After $10.3 Million Judgment in Police Shooting Case

Self-insurance means taxpayers are on the hook anyway

Jonelle Ellis

A federal judge last month ruled the January 2010 shooting of Iraq war veteran Kenneth Ellis III by a detective from the Albuquerque Police Department was unconstitutional and last week a jury awarded Ellis' family $10.3 million in court. According to the Albuquerque Journal, the city attorney says the judgment won't be put on the property tax bill. Instead, it'll come from the city's "risk management" fund (self-insurance), meaning taxpayers will be on the hook anyway.

The city's police department has been under investigation by the Department of Justice since last November. There have been at least 17 fatal police shootings since Ellis was shot and killed.

Comments

[Brett L]

Take it out of the city police pension fund. Problem solved. "Oh, we're underfunded? Fuck you, don't shoot innocent citizens."

[derpules]

I like this solution, too bad it will never happen. Unions and such.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Such a move would only have a dangerous chilling effect on the police officers' ability to shoot things.

[fish]

I've heard that Albuquerque has many threatening and as of yet un-shot dogs that a ruling like that might impact!

[Question of Auban]

The money should come from the PERSONAL bank accounts of the Police Department leadership and any thugs who participated in the murder. NOT from innocent taxpayers.

[Killazontherun]

They are not producers of wealth, their salaries come from a one hundred percent negative take on opportunity cost. Your opportunity cost get paid out as soon as you provide more value to your organization than you consumed. When a government employee reaches the same level of productivity that you do, his cost isn't paid up, there is a one hundred percent more margin to go before there is a return. Therefore, the taxpayer is always on the hook.

[Killazontherun]

You are always on the hook. Accountability will come out of some source even if the direct agency of a malevolent action is not held responsible due to sovereign immunity to consequence. Knowing that, why would you be anything else but an anarchist?

[Episiarch]

So if the shooting was unconstitutional, what charges are the detective facing?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Just kidding, we all know the cops are better than us and can shoot and kill people without facing charges.

[John]

And since the government cannot violate the law, why are these cops not considered to have acted beyond the scope of their employment and thus personally liable for the judgement?

[Auric Demonocles]

It's almost like the standard isn't the same. Like there are 2 standards or something. But there's no way any cops, especially libertarian ones, would support that!

[Loki]

there's no way any cops, especially libertarian ones, would support that!

This why there are no libertarian females cops.

[DesigNate]

that's just ignorant bigoratti talk

hth

[Vince aut Morire]

Albuquerque is a welfare enslaved slum pit. Beautiful state but filthy city. I lived there for many years. It was once a nice place but no longer.

[BakedPenguin]

I blame Walter White.

[fish]

RACIST!

[John]

Really? My family used to vacation in New Mexico every year back in the 80s. I remember it being not as nice as Sante Fe but still okay. I take it that it has gotten worse?

[Vince aut Morire]

Yes. I lived there in the 80s until 2003. Once beautiful and serene with next to no violent crime. It has always had the bad parts but they were few. Not so much any more.

[John]

What caused that? Influx of illegals? Influx of California progrards? both?

[Vince aut Morire]

Both. It is a sanctuary city. The influx of progs began in the late 60s and by the late 80s had infiltrated education and government.
Most all of my family still lives in N.M. which is still a very beautiful but poor place.

[John]

Interesting how places where white lefties live seem to always have trigger happy cops.

[Vince aut Morire]

I still visit every year BTW.

[Lyle]

Personally, especially visually, I think Albuquerque has gotten better.

I first visited it back the 80s as a child and though it was okay. Drove through it again in the 90s was like enh. Went there five years ago and every years since, and have been impressed.

[Lyle]

I should also say I spent a good amount of time as teenager in New Mexico, but not in Albuquerque, but in the Ruidoso/Cloudcroft area or the Sangro de Christo mountains out of Las Vegas.

[Vince aut Morire]

I visit Cloudcroft every year. Soo beautiful. My family has a cabin 6 Miles E of the sunspot turnoff.
And yes there are nice parts of Albuquerque.

[Lyle]

A lot of Albuquerque is quite nice. At least the parts I've been too.

[sarcasmic]

Violated his constitutional rights?

How's about committed fucking murder?!?

[John]

My impression from reading all of these depressing stories is that when cops are the perpetrator, always back the charge down one full level from what it should be.

Murder = violating constitutional rights or maybe assault

Assault = no charges just simple negligence and poor training.

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not murder if they make a furtive gesture.

Gawd! Don't you know anything, sarc?

[LTC(ret) John]

Throw in "suspicious object" with the "furtive movement" and you have license to light up an entire bus full of people.

[Capt Ace Rimmer]

"Suspicious object" will suffice -- see suspicious looking Dornor truck getting lit up.

[Capt Ace Rimmer]

Check that.

"Object" will suffice -- see the completely wrong type of "Dornor" truck being lit up.

[kinnath]

Sovereign Immunity * Public Unions == Tyranny

[The Last American Hero]

How it's paid out is the boring part of the city. Neither cities or corporations can make perfect decisions about who they hired or control their employee's actions. When those employees fuck up, the employer is often on the hook for making someone whole. The interesting part of the story is if the officer will be criminally charged, as he should be.

[Fladnag the Yarg]

If past history is any indicator, he won't be charged. Abq police really do like to shoot first and ask questions later. Had another cop shoot someone dead yesterday. I live out side the city and avoid it as much as possible.

[The Last American Hero]

story, not city

[Kaptious Kristen]

I'm starting to wonder how Gary Johnson ever got elected governor here. Seems like an authoritarian prog hellhole.

[John]

The rest of the state is not like Albuquerque and Sante Fe. It is a bit like Virginia with Albuquerque and Sante Fe playing the roll of the beltway VA burbs.

[LTC(ret) John]

"it'll come from the city's "risk management" fund (self-insurance)"

Gosh, Mr. City Attorney, however does the "risk management" fund get funded? I'll bet my ARM it gets filled from...property taxes (in large part, if not wholly).

[John]

It gets funded by the Risk Management Fairy. Don't you know about that?

[LTC(ret) John]

Must have missed that one in ARM 56. Maybe I need some CE.

[Professional Target]

There have been at least 17 fatal police shootings since Ellis was shot and killed.

That's 17 gun deaths to you and me.

/gun control nazi

[John]

No no no. Getting shot by a trigger happy cop does not make a gun death. Unlike regular people, police are special and deaths at their hands don't count. Look, the only reason police have to carry guns is because you wingnuts won't give up yours.

[Paul.]

Patrol rifles!

[Lyle]

I've been traveling to New Mexico the past four years now. When I was in Albuquerque once, near the Old Town while sitting in traffic, I saw two police officers literally beat down a street bum. Never seen that before.

[Lyle]

I love New Mexico by the way. Beautiful state. Lots of wide open space. Variable scenery and a unique culture and history.

[John]

Me too. I would retire to Red River in a heartbeat.

[Lyle]

I've not been to Red River yet. Although I've camped in mountains farther south of there.

[John]

I haven't been there in 20 years. So I could be out of date. But I remember it being a really cool mountain town.

[SumpTump]

Now that dude seems to know whats going on over there.

http://www.PC-Privacy.tk

[Paul.]

I don't see why this is news. If the government spends a single dollar on something, taxpayers are on the hook.

The only way I could see taxpayers not being on the hook is if you took the $10.3m out of the police retirement fund and then reduced the pensions of all police officers accordingly followed up by a law that they're not allowed any pension increases for 7 years to make up for the difference.