A New Mexico police officer is out of a job and facing an involuntary manslaughter charge after he allegedly used a vascular neck restraint on a man during a traffic stop.
Police body camera footage shows the February struggle involving Antonio Valenzuela, who died after Las Cruces officer Christopher Smelser was heard saying, "I'm going to f**king choke you out, bro."
Valenzuela fled on foot, prosecutors allege, and police chased him and deployed their Taser twice "without affecting" him."Valenzuela was continually struggling to get away," the district attorney's office said. "Once on the ground, during this struggle, Officer Smelser applied a vascular neck restraint technique to gain control."
The autopsy shows "small pinpoint hemorrhages" -- consistent with Valenzuela having his neck or chest compressed -- in his eyes and eyelids, as well as "evidence of focal, deep muscle hemorrhage and a fracture" to his Adam's apple, the medical investigator's report said. Police found "a silver multitool and what appeared to be illegal narcotics" on Valenzuela, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.on Monday. His attorney, Amy Orlando, filed a motion for an expedited first appearance, citing death threats he has received since the medical examiner's report was made public, according to the Las Cruces Sun News.
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