Walsenburg, CO: an Shot and Killed By Officer During Domestic Dispute

Posted: April 5, 2010 10:08 AM
Updated: April 6, 2010 12:42 AM


Armando Gallegos
By Sean Hauser
s.hauser@krdo.com

WALSENBURG – A 29-year-old man is dead after he was shot by a Walsenburg police officer Sunday night during a domestic disturbance.

It happened just after 9:00pm Sunday. In a press release from the Walsenburg Police Department, officials say an officer shot 29-year-old Armando Gallegos in order to save his girlfriends life, but Armando's family feels the officer used too much force.

"I could hear her yelling at him, telling him to get out of the house, that she doesn't want to see him anymore," said Robyn Presley, who lives next door to Gallegos and his girlfriend.

Presley says she could hear the couple next door arguing for several minutes before the shooting Sunday night. "Then 15-20 minutes later I heard gunshots in the back," she said. The gunshots came from a Walsenburg police officer. Presley says she heard what seemed like six gunshots.

According to Police, two officers went to Gallegos's home after receiving a call about a domestic disturbance. When they arrived, the officers reported seeing Armando attacking his girlfriend with a "weapon" in the back of the home. That's when one of the officers opened fire to save the woman from what they said would have been a "deadly attack." Armando was struck twice and was quickly flown by helicopter to Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo where he died of his injuries at 2:30am Monday.

NEWSCHANNEL 13 spoke with Armando's mother and stepfather Monday at their home. The grieving parents are upset at police and feel they acted with too much force.

"They could have tazed him, they didn't have to shoot him," said his stepfather, David Aragon. Armando's family believes the officer was wrong to have fired shots, saying it only happened because the officer may have been aware of Armando's criminal history.

According to his mother, Armando served jail time three years ago for drugs and weapons charges. But his stepfather says since then, Armando was headed down the right path and he doesn't think he would ever hurt his girlfriend. "He changed his life around, he was doing good, doing everything he could do to support his girlfriend and two step-children," said Aragon.

Armando's girlfriend was treated and released from the hospital. According to police, there were children in the home at the time of the incident and when officers arrived they were trying to escape out of the front of the house. None of them were injured.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigations has taken over the case and the Walsenburg Police Officer was placed on a routine paid administrative leave.