Family of woman fatally shot by police officer given $20M settlement by New Mexico city
The family of a woman shot dead by a former New Mexico police officer has reached a $20 million settlement with the city that employed him, ahead of his murder trial next year.
The family of a woman shot dead by a former New Mexico police officer has reached a $20 million settlement with the city that employed him, ahead of his murder trial next year.
Las Cruces police officer Felipe Hernandez killed Teresa Gomez, 45, last year and the city said in a statement Monday that his actions "on the morning of Oct. 3, 2023, were so severe that charges were brought against Hernandez."
In January, Hernandez was charged with second-degree murder and later fired from the police department. He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is scheduled for June 2, 2025.
The shooting, which was captured on body camera footage, happened after Hernandez questioned Gomez and a passenger about trespassing after he saw the two of them sitting in a parked vehicle in an area that he described as "public housing." Hernandez approached the vehicle on a bicycle, proceeding to tell Gomez to step out of her vehicle.
At one point he tells her: "You’re going to get tazed." A minutes-long interaction takes place between the three and Gomez eventually leaves the vehicle to speak with the officer.
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