By MAIRE O’NEILLFormer Los Alamos Police Officer David Bradshaw has been charged with aggravated assault following an incident in Roswell where he allegedly followed another vehicle home while off-duty and pulled a gun on the driver.
Bradshaw is now a Chaves County Sheriff’s Deputy.
The affidavit filed by the investigating officers states that the victim reported that he was driving behind a newer black Ford pick-up and decided to pass the truck which he then perceived to be following him. The victim was driving a yellow Ford Mustang. The affidavit for the case indicates he turned several times without using a turn signal because he wanted to be sure the truck was following him. It says the victim continued to his home and pulled into his driveway. When he looked into his rear view mirror he saw the black Ford pickup parked in the street.
“I was very scared. I grabbed my firearm and put it in my pocket. I waited to see if the black pick-up would leave. It stayed parked. I then exited my vehicle with my firearm showing. I stayed beside my vehicle. The man in the black Ford pick-up started to holler at me using foul language and making remarks about my driving,” the victim said in his report.
He said Bradshaw made remarks about him having his firearm and that he told Bradshaw, “It’s an open carry state”. Bradshaw then identified himself as “Officer Bradshaw” and told the victim he was going to issue him a reckless driving citation and that he had also contacted another officer that was on their way.
The court documents indicate the victim noticed that Bradshaw had a revolver in his hand. He told the investigating officer the wind was blowing a little and it blew his shirt causing it to cover his gun. He said once that happened Bradshaw yelled, “Now that’s concealed carry,” and pointed his revolver at him. The victim said he put his hands up and backed away. He said he noticed the top of a boy’s head in the passenger’s seat. After he stepped back he told Bradshaw he wanted to talk and Bradshaw told him to put his firearm back in his vehicle.
At this point the victim said Bradshaw got out of his truck wearing a long sleeved t-shirt, shorts and no shoes. Chaves County Sheriff’s Deputy Rebecca Chavez then arrived on the scene. Bradshaw asked the victim for his identification and if he was drinking. Victim gave Bradshaw his ID and told him he doesn’t drink. He asked Bradshaw if they could talk, human being to human being, and Bradshaw told him he would talk to him in court when he got his citation in the mail. Bradshaw then left the scene.
Court documents state Chavez told the victim she couldn’t cite him because she wasn’t present. The victim mentioned how Bradshaw had aimed his revolver at him. Shortly thereafter Chavez told the victim to have a nice day and drove off.
In the course of the investigation, a search warrant was obtained for Bradshaw’s home and a silver revolver and three phones were seized. Bradshaw was contacted and asked if he would be willing to go to the Roswell Police Department and give a statement but he did not wish to. Search warrants were obtained for the three cell phones but nothing of evidentiary value was found on them.
Deputy Chaves told the investigator she received a call from Bradshaw who told her, “This mother (expletive) just cut me off and I’ve got my kids in the car”. Bradshaw asked Chavez to go to his location but then told her not to because he didn’t want her to go out of district. He allegedly told Chavez he was going to get the license number of the victim’s vehicle, see if he could identify him and then summons him into court.
Deputy Chavez said something told her after she hung up to go over there because she did not have a good feeling. When she arrived at the victim’s home, she saw Bradshaw’s truck parked at “somewhat of an angle” and Bradshaw standing near the rear of the truck pointing at the victim. She told Bradshaw he could leave and after he left, she said she told the victim Bradshaw had reported to her that he had cut him off while his kids were in the truck. Chavez ran the victim’s license number, told him she had followed him to try to pull him over and apologized for whatever happened.
At this point the victim told Chavez that Bradshaw had pulled his gun on him. Chavez said she had not seen the gun when she arrived. She said all she could do was apologize for whatever had happened.
During the subsequent investigation Chavez outlined her observations of Bradshaw’s demeanor. When asked about the victim’s demeanor, Chavez said when she explained to the victim why she was on scene he apologized and admitted to cutting Bradshaw off. She said the victim was calm and trying to talk to Bradshaw when she arrived on the scene, that the victim was not angry but just upset and that he wasn’t being a jerk or a hothead.
Fifth Judicial District Attorney Dianna Luce has asked 12th Judicial District Attorney John Sugg to act as special prosecutor in the case. Although the incident happened March 18, the criminal complaint was not filed until April 26 and Bradshaw waived arraignment. He is out of custody on conditions of release pending trial.
Chaves County Sheriff Britt Snyder told the Los Alamos Daily Post Tuesday afternoon that Bradshaw is on administrative leave and that he could not make any further comment.
