After homeless veteran shot by police protests followed by support

More support for APD popping up on social media
KOB Eyewitness News 4
By: Jen Samp
04/06/2014

The Veteran Support for Albuquerque Police Department Facebook group says they do not agree with the actions of the officers involved in the shooting of James Boyd, but this group can relate with the men and women in blue which is why they want to show their support.

In Derek Bennett's eyes, a person in uniform is a person in uniform.

Whether they are overseas, in the military, or a police officer in Albuquerque.

He started the Facebook group, Veteran Support for APD. He says it is to counter the APD protests within the past week.

"Me being an Iraq Veteran, I know that you can do your best, every day, do the best job you can to make a difference and there is still going to be a few people who just ruin it for you," Bennett said.

He says he reviewed the lapel cam video in the shooting of James Boyd.

"We don't condone the James Boyd shooting, we don't," Bennett said. "We understand there were issues going on there that could have gone a different way."

Bennett served three tours for the U.S Army in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Fatal Shooting of New Mexico Man Sparks 'Killer Cops' Protest
NBC News
BY ERIK ORTIZ

The killing of a mentally ill homeless man by New Mexico cops two weeks ago was caught on camera — a disturbing scene that became the flash point for Albuquerque residents already alarmed by a rise in police-involved shootings.

Tensions boiled over late Sunday as hundreds of protesters and cops in riot gear clashed on downtown streets.

But the unrest appears far from over: Online hacktivist collective Anonymous — no stranger to fomenting outrage — has pledged to keep a cyber spotlight on the Albuquerque Police Department’s problems.

It’s the latest campaign for the same shadowy group that brought attention to Occupy Wall Street and the Steubenville rape case.

“APD you now have the full attention of Anonymous,” the group warned in a YouTube post last week calling for Sunday’s protest. “To the citizens of Albuquerque, it’s time to organize.”
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