A New Mexico cop has been fired and criminally charged after ‘roughing up’ a mentally disabled man who was struggling to use a self-checkout counter at Target.
Officer Kenneth Skeens, 28, hauled the man out of the store on Coors and Paseo in Albuquerque and arrested him while he was trying to buy a bike in August 2022.
The shopper, who was disabled and struggling to complete his purchase, was at the checkout with his dollars at the ready when he was approached by cops. The charges lodged against him were later dropped after he was deemed incompetent.
Skeens, who worked at the police department since June 2018, was fired in February when his superiors decided the arrest was unlawful and he abused his power.
He was also one of the trio of cops who shot dead a drunk man in his car – in a separate instance of alleged police brutality in Albuquerque.
Officer Kenneth Skeens, 28, who worked at the police department since June 2018, was fired in February when his superiors decided the arrest was unlawful and he abused his power. He now faces charges of false imprisonment, filing a false police report, perjury and battery
The shopper, who was disabled and struggling to complete his purchase, was at the checkout with his dollars at the ready when he was approached by cops at the store on Coors and Paseo in Albuquerque
He now faces charges of false imprisonment, filing a false police report, perjury and battery.
In bodycam footage, Skeens is seen dragging him from the store by his arms after the man tries to explain that his purchase has taken him a while to complete.
‘Take your money out, you’re coming with us now, ok?’ he is heard saying.
He tells the shopper: ‘Took too long. Go ahead and pick your money up.’
The man apologizes to the officer – but to no avail. As he’s being dragged out, he falls to his knees before being placed on the ground outside the Target.
The shopper refused to give his name, at which point Skeens said: ‘Just go ahead and put him in handcuffs, guys, he’s refusing to identify himself.’
As he’s cuffed, he screams out as he still seems to be confused at whether the officers are real cops. The individual then tries to call 911 while surrounded by several officers.
The man apologizes to the officer – but with no avail. As he’s being dragged out, he falls to his knees before being placed on the ground outside the Target
Skeens said: ‘We’re all in uniform. That’s your own fault. So now you’re going to be charged, ok, with concealing identity, resisting officers, ok?’
In bodycam footage, Skeens is seen dragging him from the store by his arms after the man tries to explain that his purchase has taken him a while to complete
Police then forcefully take the phone from the man, while pressing down on him as he’s handcuffed.
Skeens said: ‘We’re all in uniform. That’s your own fault. So now you’re going to be charged, ok, with concealing identity, resisting officers, ok?’
The man said: ‘That’s not right. I was just paying my things… I didn’t know you were police officers … I didn’t see your badges.’
Skeens was charged earlier this month.
Attorney General Raúl Torrez said: ‘Today my office filed charges against former APD Officer Kenneth Skeens for his role in the unlawful arrest of a customer with disabilities who was struggling to complete his purchase at a Target located in Albuquerque in August of 2022.
‘Rather than acting as a professional public servant and a guardian of vulnerable members of this community, Mr. Skeens engaged in abusive and unlawful behavior that undermined public safety and violated his oath as a peace officer in the State of New Mexico.’
The AG accused the officer of abusing his power and using excessive force.
Attorney General Raúl Torrez said about the shopper: ‘He clearly hadn’t committed a crime’
He added: ‘I think it’s just outrageous that a police officer who should be in a position to try and help someone who is clearly struggling and is clearly dealing with some challenges, you know as a customer in that store, would end up in a position really abusing their power.
‘And using, you know, just really excessive force.’
The AG’s office also claims that on the same day, Skeens made a false statement under oath related to the event and committed battery by unlawfully handling the man.
Torrez said about the shopper: ‘He clearly hadn’t committed a crime.
‘And, in the absence of criminal activity, there was simply no justification for the officer to engage with him in the way he that he did and to escalate the situation in the way that he did.
This is not the first time Kenneth Skeens has been the face of alleged police brutality during his time as a police officer in Albuquerque. He was one of three officers who shot dead a black man who was in his car at a gas station last August . Keshawn Thomas was killed after the cops said they saw him with a weapon
‘I think the Albuquerque Police Department deserves great credit for alerting us.
‘They actually brought this to our attention when I was still at the District Attorney’s office.
‘They identified this incident as something that fell below their professional standards and their ethical standards and I think ultimately ended with Mr. Skeens termination from the Albuquerque Police Department.’
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said: ‘We took immediate action when we learned about the allegations of unacceptable behavior by this individual who abused his oath as a police officer.
‘Our officers work hard every day to earn the trust of the people they serve.
‘We appreciate the work of the Attorney General’s Office to hold this person accountable and ensure that no one is above the law.’
This is not the first time Kenneth Skeens has been the face of alleged police brutality during his time as a police officer in Albuquerque.
He was one of three officers who shot dead a black man who was in his car at a gas station last August. Keshawn Thomas was killed after the cops said they saw him with a weapon.
Thomas’ family sued the Albuquerque Police Department over Skeens and the other officers’ roles in the man’s death.
APD said in a release: ‘All three officers said they saw Thomas produce the gun and start to point it toward them, prompting them to shoot him and stop his actions.’
Officers Marcos Flores, Dustin Ketchum and Kenneth Skeens swiftly fired a total of 16 rounds at Thomas, who lay still in the drivers seat of the Camaro, with the door ajar.
‘A loaded handgun, believed to be owned by Thomas, was recovered in the driver’s area of the vehicle,’ the press release said.
At the time, Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said: ‘We can be better at controlling our frustrations and the way we communicate with individuals.’
He said that in recent years ‘the mixture of firearms and alcohol have led to tragic results for the community’.