According to KOB 4, around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Farmington Police Department was dispatched to a domestic violence call on Valley View Avenue.
According to New Mexico State Police, Farmington police officers mistakenly approached the wrong house. Officers reportedly knocked on the front door and announced they were police. When no one answered, officers, asked dispatch to call the reporting party back and have them come to the front door.
As officers backed away from the door, the homeowner approached the door, armed with a handgun. Police identified the homeowner as 52-year-old Robert Dotson.
“At this point in the encounter, officer(s) fired at least one round from their duty weapon(s), striking Mr. Dotson,” NMSP spokesman Ray Wilson wrote in a news release.
After the initial shooting, Dotson’s wife – who was also armed – opened fire from the doorway of the home. Once again, police shot back.
“Once she realized that the individuals outside the residence were officers, she put the gun down and complied with the officer’s commands,” Wilson wrote.
Dotson was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife was uninjured.
New Mexico State Police said the Farmington police officers were not injured and will not be identified at this time, KOB 4 reported.
Body camera video of the police response is expected to be released in the coming days.