In the fall of 2015, the city of Albuquerque was shaken by the loss of one of its own. Daniel Scott "Dan" Webster, a 47-year-old White male and a decorated veteran of the Albuquerque Police Department, was shot in the line of duty on the evening of October 21st. The incident began as a routine traffic stop in the city's International District. Officer Webster had pulled over a motorcycle near the corner of Central Avenue and Eubank Boulevard for displaying a stolen license plate.
The rider of the motorcycle was 34-year-old Davon Lymon.
What should have been a standard procedure quickly escalated into a violent and tragic confrontation. During the stop, Lymon, who had an extensive and violent criminal history, drew a handgun. Officer Webster was struck by gunfire, sustaining critical injuries. Despite being mortally wounded, he managed to return fire and injure Lymon. The suspect fled the scene, sparking a massive manhunt that involved numerous law enforcement agencies. Officer Webster was rushed to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where he tragically died from his wounds eight days later on October 29, 2015.
The search for Davon Lymon ended a few hours after the shooting when he was located and taken into custody. Lymon, who had a prior conviction for voluntary manslaughter, was subsequently charged with the murder of Officer Daniel Webster. The case brought to the forefront the daily dangers faced by law enforcement officers and the complexities of the justice system in dealing with repeat violent offenders. The death of Officer Webster, a respected member of the community and the first Albuquerque police officer to be fatally shot in the line of duty in nearly a decade, left a profound impact on the city and the nation.
