A New Mexico family says excessive force on the part of sheriff deputies is to blame for the death of an 88-year-old great-grandfather who was distraught following the death of his wife.
The family of Fidencio Duran is suing Bernalillo County in state district court.
Their complaint outlines a standoff last September that ended with deputies shooting Duran with pepper balls before unleashing a police dog. Duran died a month later, and medical investigators classified his death as homicide.
The lawsuit says deputies should have been wearing body cameras and that the county has allowed a culture of aggression to exist within the sheriff's department.
A sheriff's spokesman says an internal investigation cleared the deputies of any wrongdoing, but review of a criminal investigation is still pending with the district attorney's office.
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