We are finally seeing what Albuquerque police saw the day a very important piece of equipment saved the life of an officer.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Albuquerque Police Department officials released the body camera footage on Tuesday from a shootout in December that left the suspect dead.
APD Officers Michael Golden and Christopher Cooke were on patrol near Coors and Iliff when they say they identified 32-year-old Luis Arreola-Palma, a top 25 auto theft offender.
“Mr. Palma did have two active felony warrants. One for unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and the other for negligent use of a deadly weapon. Palma’s criminal history spans over 15 years, beginning with minor drug possession charges in 2010 and escalating to serious violent felonies,” said APD Commander/Overseer of the Multi-Agency Force, Jeff Bernard.
Arreola-Palma had two previous arrests leading up to the shooting. The first time he was released was due to the victim being uncooperative with investigators. The second time, the case was thrown out by prosecutors, according to Commander Bernard.
The shooting
Officer Cooke and Officer Golden chased Arreola-Palma on foot through the Roadeway Inn Motel, before catching him in a hallway.
“When officers were attempting to gain control of Mr. Palma, Mr. Palma fired one round, striking Officer Golden,” said Bernard. “Officer Cooke returned fire, striking Mr. Palma.”
Arreola-Palma fired a handgun at Officer Golden through his right jacket pocket. Luckily, the bullet lodged in Officer Golden’s radio, saving his life.
Arreola-Palma later died at the hospital during surgery. APD says had Arreola-Palma survived, he would’ve been charged with attempted murder, along with his other active felony warrants.
Trends in 2025
This was the 15th officer-involved shooting for APD in 2025. Officials told us, in all cases, the suspects had a weapon and were under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. Interim Chief Cecily Barker says that’s extremely concerning for her team, and also expressed frustration with repeat offenders.
“I just want to remind everybody that officers come to work every day to protect and to serve, and they need to go home safe. And this is an example of someone who should not have been out, should not have had a firearm, and we are very lucky that our officers are safe,” Barker said.
APD says Officer Cooke has never involved in a shooting, and Officer Golden remains on leave at this time for recovery purposes. The investigation into the incident will continue over the next few months.
