Troopers were attempting to stop a vehicle when suddenly the car took off and reportedly began to swerve in and out of traffic. Police began a pursuit but were later called off when the vehicle started to drive in the middle of the road. Approximately 10 minutes later, officers received a call that the person was standing in the middle of Manzano Expressway attempting to stop traffic. One of the police officers tried to take the Rodney Applewhite into custody, the man resisted, and during a fight, the man allegedly grabbed one of the officers' gun and was shot and killed.
Killer: Gene Gonzales
Agency: New Mexico State Police
Motive: Traffic violation
Confrontation Type: Traffic Stop
Service Call: No
Body Camera: No
Official Disposition: Pending investigation
Victim Name: Rodney Applewhite
Death Date: November 19, 2020
County: Valencia
Geography: Rural
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Race: Black
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: No
Armed: Unarmed/Did Not Have Actual Weapon
Weapon: no object
Threat Level: undetermined
Fleeing: Car
Washington Post Database ID: 6344