Opening statements and witnesses for former Albuquerque police officer accused of excessive force

JUST A BIT FOR US TO GET BACK TO DARLENE. OPENING STATEMENTS HAVE STARTED FOR THE TRIAL OF A FORMER A-P-D OFFICER ACCUSED OF EXCESSIVE FORCE AGAINST A MAN WITH DISABILITIES. OUR ANDRES VALLE JOINS US LIVE NOW WITH DETAILS. AFTER BEING IN THE COURTROOM ALL DAY, ANDRES. HEY, DARLENE, THAT FORMER A-P-D OFFICER IS BEING CHARGED WITH BATTERY AND FALSE IMPRISONMENT AND TODAY WE GOT TO HEAR FROM MATTHEW MCMANUS. THE MAN OR THE STATE, THE ONE THAT THE STATE IS REPRESENTING AGAINST HIM. STATE BEFORE YOUR FIRST WITNESS. YES, YOUR HONOR, THE STATE CALLS. MATTHEW MCMANUS. MATTHEW MCMANUS TAKING THE STAND IN THE TRIAL AGAINST FORMER APD OFFICER KENNETH SKEENS. TELL US WHAT WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER THAT DAY? WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO PURCHASE? I TRIED TO PURCHASE A BICYCLE. A BICYCLE? YEAH. MATTHEW IS REFERRING TO THIS INCIDENT BACK IN ALBUQUERQUE. TARGET IN AUGUST 2022. SKIING SEEN IN THIS BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE IS ALLEGEDLY USING EXCESSIVE FORCE ON MATTHEW. JUST PUT YOUR MONEY DOWN, OKAY? ARE YOU COMING WITH US? OKAY. I HAD IT TIED UP. IT TOOK ME A WHILE. TAKE YOUR MONEY UP. YOU’RE COMING WITH US NOW. OKAY. JUST TOOK ME A LITTLE WHILE. GOTCHA. YOU TOOK TOO LONG. THIS SAME VIDEO BEING SHOWN TO THE JURORS AS MATTHEW, RECOUNTING WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM, TO THE COURT? YES. I WENT THERE AND I WAS HAD MY MONEY OUT. AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, A LOT OF POLICE JUST CAME AND JUMPED ME ON THE SIDE, AND THEY DRAGGED ME IN THE AIR. ME AND THEY AND SKINS HIS DEFENSE, ARGUING THIS ALL BOILS DOWN TO DID SCHEMES BELIEVE HE HAD A LAWFUL OBJECTIVE, CLAIMING THAT SCHEMES HAD HAD THE RIGHT TO ARREST MCMANUS FOR CRIMINAL TRESPASSING AT THE TARGET, ADDING THAT THE STATE DOES NOT HAVE PROOF TO ARGUE OTHERWISE, PLEASE CONSIDER THE PIECES OF EVIDENCE THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE THAT WERE NEVER ADDRESSED, THE EVIDENCE THAT YOU DON’T HAVE. AND WE THINK AT THE END OF THIS TRIAL, YOU’RE GOING TO RETURN A VERDICT OF NOT GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS. AND AFTER OPENING STATEMENTS, THE COURT CALLED FOR APD OFFICER GREGORY RATTIGAN, WHO TOOK THE STAND RIGHT AFTERWARDS. WE’LL HAVE MORE OF THAT COMING UP AT 5:00. BUT FOR NOW, REPORTI

The trial of a former Albuquerque Police Department officer accused of excessive force against a man with disabilities is underway.Kenneth Skeen is charged with false imprisonment and battery. Opening statements and witness testimonies wrapping up earlier this afternoon. Action 7 News On The Go: Download our app for freeMathew McManus, the alleged victim, took the stand, recounting his memory of the event."I went there and had my money out. And then, all of a sudden, a lot of things happened. The police came and jumped me on site. And they dragged me and hurt me," said McManus while on the witness stand. The court played the body camera footage of when McManus was arrested by APD at a Target in August 2022. Skeen's defense argued that Skeen had the right to arrest McManus for criminal trespassing.Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTubeClaiming the state does not have proof to argue otherwise."The pivotal point here, the key point, would be those pieces of evidence that either tend to establish reasonable doubt as to what was said, or tend to establish that criminal trespass was discussed," said Skeen's defense attorney.The court called on APD officers Gregory Radigan and Marcos Flores, who both responded to the call as witnesses in the trial."State: Have you been seeing any crime being committed at that point?"Radigan: No, sir."State: What did you see?"Radigan: I saw Mathew at the self-checkout. He had a bunch of cash on the glass part of the self-checkout."Flores was called to the stand to explain what criminal trespassing was before the trial wrapped up for the day. If convicted, Skeen faces up to four years in prison. Stay updated on the latest news updates with the KOAT app. You can download it here.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —

The trial of a former Albuquerque Police Department officer accused of excessive force against a man with disabilities is underway.

Kenneth Skeen is charged with false imprisonment and battery.

Opening statements and witness testimonies wrapping up earlier this afternoon.

Action 7 News On The Go: Download our app for free

Mathew McManus, the alleged victim, took the stand, recounting his memory of the event.

"I went there and had my money out. And then, all of a sudden, a lot of things happened. The police came and jumped me on site. And they dragged me and hurt me," said McManus while on the witness stand.

The court played the body camera footage of when McManus was arrested by APD at a Target in August 2022.

Skeen's defense argued that Skeen had the right to arrest McManus for criminal trespassing.

Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

Claiming the state does not have proof to argue otherwise.

"The pivotal point here, the key point, would be those pieces of evidence that either tend to establish reasonable doubt as to what was said, or tend to establish that criminal trespass was discussed," said Skeen's defense attorney.

The court called on APD officers Gregory Radigan and Marcos Flores, who both responded to the call as witnesses in the trial.

"State: Have you been seeing any crime being committed at that point?

"Radigan: No, sir.

"State: What did you see?

"Radigan: I saw Mathew at the self-checkout. He had a bunch of cash on the glass part of the self-checkout."

Flores was called to the stand to explain what criminal trespassing was before the trial wrapped up for the day.

If convicted, Skeen faces up to four years in prison.

Stay updated on the latest news updates with the KOAT app. You can download it here.

Opening statements and witnesses for former Albuquerque police officer accused of excessive force

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