New Mexico State Police say they are investigating an Oct. 28 traffic stop gone wrong south of Taos in which an officer fired at a van as it drove away with five children inside, reports the Albuquerque Journal. A video from the police car dashboard camera has appeared widely in the national media. It shows one officer trying to bash in a window as the children scream and then another officer firing when the driver takes off. State Police Chief Pete Kassetas called the incident “concerning.”
The incident began when Officer Tony DeTavis pulled over a speeding van driven by Oriana L. Farrell, 39, of Memphis. There were five children in the van. Farrell pulled away after a conversation with DeTavis. He followed the van and confronted the driver when she pulled over a second time. The cop pointed a gun at the driver’s teenage son when he got out of the van. DeTavis later used his baton to break a window in the van. Eventually, other officers arrived, and Officer Elias Montoya fired three shots toward the van as Farrell pulled away a third time. Farrell and the son were arrested.