New Mexico Shooting Video: Cops Fire At Van Full Of Kids, But Mom Oriana Farrell Faces Child Abuse Charges


Late last year, a New Mexico shooting video had the public divided over whether or not police officers were correct to open fire on a minivan full of children. The mother in the incident, Oriana Ferrell, was charged with five counts of abuse of a child, aggravated fleeing an officer, resisting an officer, reckless driving and possession of drug paraphernalia. Even her 14-year-old son was arrested on battery charges against the cops because he rushed to his mother’s defense against the cops. Although the courts tossed out the charges, New Mexico prosecutors are now seeking to charge Ferrell with new charges.

In a related report by The Inquisitr, another New Mexico shooting is causing controversy because a police officer made jokes about shooting a suspect in the penis before arriving on the scene. The incident resulted in the death of James Boyd, but he was shot in the back and police are now investigating the circumstances of the shooting.

According to police reports, the cops initially pulled Mrs. Ferrell over for a simple speeding ticket but began to follow her because she argued with the officer, didn’t sign the ticket, and wasn’t immediately heading for the courthouse to either pay the fine or contest the citation. Police officer Tony DeTavis decided to pulled her over again, claiming she was attempting to evade him, and that’s when an argument erupted.

The New Mexico shooting video shows the police officer trying to physically remove her from the vehicle. Although Oriana initially complied, she was very upset and when she tried to get away, two of her five children rushed to her defense. As the family tries to get away, DeTavis tasers the boy and then bashes the window in with his nightstick.

As they pulled away, that’s when the minivan shooting took place, with another cop named Elias Montoya opening fire at the backside of a vehicle filled with children. Fortunately, no one was injured by the gunfire.

Montoya justified the shooting by saying he was aiming his weapon “at the left rear tire in an attempt to immobilize the vehicle.” But after the New Mexico State Police department investigated the matter, they fired Montoya.

Oriana Farrell was indicted on several charges, including child abuse, and she went to the New Mexico Court of Appeals to request a dismissal of these charges after a lower court rejected her plea. According to KRQE-TV, the New Mexico Court of Appeals ordered that Farrell’s indictment be dismissed because the grand jury wasn’t handled properly.

But the case is not over yet and Taos County District Attorney Donald Gallegos says Farrell will face more charges before another grand jury some time in October.

“We have probable cause that she committed one or more crimes in this county but it will be up to a grand jury to determine that,” Gallegos said. “If we indict her, we’ll go forward. [The decision to drop the previous charges] had nothing to do with the evidence that was presented, it only had to do with a procedural matter so that’s why we’re going back to the grand jury.”

The circumstances of the New Mexico shooting video already has Oriana Farrell giving notice she plans on suing the state over the matter.

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