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June 9, 2020

New Mexico Officer Charged with Killing Man in Neck Restraint During Traffic Stop
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In New Mexico, a Las Cruces police officer has been charged with
involuntary manslaughter for the death of a man after a traffic stop in
February. The officer, Christopher Smelser, remains free on bail. He is
accused of killing Antonio Valenzuela by placing him in a neck
restraint. Smelser is heard on a newly released lapel video telling
Valenzuela, "I'm going to [expletive] choke you out, bro." Even after
Valenzuela lost consciousness, the video shows Smelser made no attempt
to help him. Instead he is heard describing his encounter with
Valenzuela as a "good little fight." Antonio Valenzuela was a father of
four who worked as a painter. According to The Washington Post, Las
Cruces, New Mexico, had the highest rate of police killings of any city
in the country between 2015 and 2019.


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