APD answers questions after man takes his own life during standoff
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A man called 911 for help, but instead, police say he ended up taking his own life. So did the red flag law fail this man?
At a news conference Monday, Albuquerque police walked us through what led up to their officers shooting at a man who was not supposed to have a gun.
APD officials say their officers shot toward Matthias Wynkoop after he pointed a gun at them. Officers missed, before Wynkoop shot himself and crashed his truck at a northwest Albuquerque apartment complex.
New Mexico State Police had previously taken over a dozen guns from Wynkoop after a DWI stop and concerns that he was suicidal. So where did he get another gun from? APD officials revealed Wynkoop had two guns with him at the time of the shooting.
One gun was a rifle that the APD chief called a ghost gun because it had no serial number, making it impossible to track. According to APD, the other weapon was a handgun Wynkoop had bought from a coworker, Adam Maestas, a year before the red flag law was used.
Still, police say Maestas did not do a required background check, so now he’s facing a misdemeanor charge for illegally selling it. That’s the gun police say Wynkoop used to shoot himself.
There’s also the mental health component. Wynkoop called 911 for help. He told police he was battling alcoholism and didn’t have the money for treatment. While Wynkoop’s family believes that police escalated the stiuation, they agree with the APD chief on one thing.
“When somebody’s having a mental issue, I’m sorry, there should be a four-day hold, where they have to go through a complete mental evaluation,” said Florence Thompson, Wynkoop’s mom. “If that evaluation deems that he’s mentally unstable, then he should have to stay longer.”
Chief Harold Medina agrees.
“Individuals suffering a mental health crisis should be given the resources and mandated to go to the resources, and I think that’s where there is a big gap in where these mandates are,” Medina said.
Wynkoop’s family says the red flag law might make lawmakers feel good that they did something on guns, but without any follow up, it doesn’t do much good.
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