APD successfully takes cat killer into custody

SWAT and APD Crisis Intervention Officers responded to a call on the 300 block of General Marshall NE, in the international district of Albuquerque, on Nov. 21, last night, at 7:36p.m. "The subject was having a mental health episode," informed Officer Robert Gibbs, who was also on duty at the scene. Officers were responding to a 911 call made by the family of a person suffering from mental illness who had allegedly killed the family cat with a knife. Additional information regarding the incident was obtained in a phone conversation with APD's Information Director Sargent Trish Hoffman.  Approximately ten to twelve police units were dispatched to the residence blocking off both ends of the street. Officers used a PA system to call the individual out of their home. "Five minutes after the (APD) units arrived on the scene the subject came out of their residence on their own accord (unarmed)," stated Hoffman. The individual was taken into custody and is currently undergoing a psychological analysis. Officers stayed behind to take additional information from family members. The incident was peacefully resolved without any use of force by APD. "The subjects mental health issues will be addressed first then we will address the issue with the animal," stated Hoffman. The Heath Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ( HIPAA) prevents the disclosure of the name of the individual and the nature of their mental illness.