On March 16, 2014, James Matthew Boyd, 38, was fatally shot by Albuquerque Police Department officers in the Sandia Mountains foothills after a prolonged standoff. A neighbor, Alexander Thickstun, had reported Boyd for camping near homes and told police Boyd had behaved in a disturbing manner. Boyd, who had schizo‑affective disorder and a history of mental illness, was found under a plastic sheet and alternated between threats and friendly talk during a four‑hour confrontation involving SWAT, crisis intervention, field services and New Mexico State Police.

Around 7:29 p.m. the situation escalated when Boyd, holding two knives, began walking toward officers. A flash‑bang was deployed and officers Keith Sandy and Dominique Perez each fired three rounds; three bullets struck Boyd from behind. He suffered catastrophic injuries, underwent extensive surgery including amputation of his right arm and removal of organs, and was pronounced dead at 2:55 a.m. the next morning. The shooting prompted protests, scrutiny of police use of force against people with mental illness and a Department of Justice review that criticized many APD shootings from 2009–2012.

Sandy and Perez were later tried; their trial produced a deadlocked jury. The city agreed to a $5 million settlement in a wrongful death suit filed by Boyd’s brother, naming 41 officers and the city. Did anyone on the mountain that night see interactions or movements not yet publicly described?