Are police empowered to self-defense or use excessive force and how does this ratio of shootings in Albuquerque compare to other cities of similar size and population? The aftermath shows the sides of two groups of people who believe they are right. Activists against police-involved shootings believe Albuquerque officers too often react to situations with deadly force and need changes. Supporters of the police force believe shootings are higher in Albuquerque because suspects in the area give police more reason to use lethal force, however, APD agreed to ratify its modified policies to satisfy the public. Albuquerque has the highest ratio of population to police shootings of six cities of similar size and population over the past year and a half. In this heated debate between the law and the people of Albuquerque, both sides show a considerable amount of evidence to support their point of view. So which way is right? In my opinion neither side is right, so to speak. I take aspects of both sides that make sense in my head and that can be interpreted as either supporting or discrediting both sides of this argument. I am in no way taking a neutral position, just a complicated one. The families of the "victims" and deceased compile a compelling story involving the "out of hand" behavior and "excessive force" tendencies of the Albuquerque Police Department. , as described by Heinz (C2). Many of these statements in my opinion are reckless and stem from pure emotional anger due to the immediate loss of a loved one; however, one case that caught my attention may call this question into question. In May 2011, a 22-year-old man was shot because he believed… middle of paper… the entire relationship between the officers involved in the shooting. Until the ongoing investigation led by the Department of Justice is completed, I really don't see the possibility of anything being dramatically changed. Works Cited “Deadly Force Protest.” Albuquerque Journal (NM) September 18, 2011: B5. Print.Galvan, Astrid. “Changes in Store for APD – Think Tank Issues Report on Officer-Involved Shootings.” Albuquerque Journal (NM) June 25, 2011: A1. Print.Heinz, Hailey. “Civil Rights Complaint Filed Against Two Officers.” Albuquerque Journal (NM) June 21, 2011: C2. Print. McKay, Dan and Jeff Proctor. “APD Shooting: No Easy Answer: Data Shows Officers Attacked, Incidents Not Always Tracked.” Albuquerque Journal (NM) April 19, 2011: A1. Print.Tomlin, Alex. “How do APD shootings compare to others? | albuquerque, nm | krqe news 13 new mexico. krqe.com. News. Network. 26 September. 2011.