On August 18, 2005, Michael R. King, a 50-year-old Albuquerque Police Department officer with 22 years of service, was fatally shot while attempting to take a man into custody for a mental health evaluation near Ash Street SE and Coal Avenue SE. Officer Richard Smith was wounded in the same attack and later died at the University of New Mexico Hospital. Both officers left behind families; Officer King is survived by his wife and two sons, ages 18 and 14.

The suspect, identified as 48-year-old John Hyde, fled on a motorcycle and was apprehended about two hours later after crashing while trying to evade capture. Hyde was charged with the murders of Officers King and Smith and with several other killings earlier that day. Hyde has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and was later found incompetent to stand trial; as of January 20, 2022, he remained deemed incompetent and no trial had been held.

Did anyone in the Albuquerque area at the time have information about the events that night or about Michael King’s work in the community?