In the early hours of August 11, 2020, Ken Reiss, a 50-year-old White man and a well-known bartender in Albuquerque, called 911 saying two armed people had broken into his home and that he had shot one. Following dispatcher instructions to hide, Reiss left the house. Officers arriving found evidence of gunfire in the home and later heard a gunshot that was determined to be Reiss accidentally shooting his thigh.

Officers spotted a man running down the street and later found Reiss hiding behind a vehicle. Body-worn camera footage shows officers did not identify themselves as police when issuing commands. Reiss reportedly said No, you’re not cops and fired a single shot over the car hood; three officers then fired, striking Reiss multiple times. One officer fired additional shots, believing Reiss was still reaching for a weapon. Conversations on the lapel cameras conveyed uncertainty about whether they had shot the homeowner or an intruder.

An investigation found no evidence of the alleged home invasion. An autopsy showed a high level of methamphetamine in Reiss’s system. The officers were not criminally charged. No suspects were identified or arrested in connection with the initial break-in Reiss reported. Did anyone who knew Ken notice anything unusual about his behavior or circle around the days before August 11, 2020?