On August 18, 2005, Michael R. King, a 50-year-old officer with the Albuquerque Police Department was fatally shot while attempting to take a man into custody for a mental health evaluation. Alongside Officer Richard Smith, King responded to a call near the intersection of Ash Street SE and Coal Avenue SE in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Upon their arrival, the officers were immediately fired upon.
Officer King was killed instantly, while Officer Smith was transported to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The suspect, identified as 48-year-old John Hyde, fled the scene on a motorcycle. Approximately two hours later, he was located after crashing his motorcycle during an attempt to evade capture. Hyde was arrested and charged with the murders of Officers King and Smith, as well as two additional murders committed earlier that evening at a local motorcycle store and the murder of a New Mexico Department of Transportation worker that morning.
Hyde, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, was later found incompetent to stand trial. As of January 20, 2022, he remained deemed incompetent, with no trial proceedings initiated.
Both Officers King and Smith had over 20 years of service with the APD. Officer King had served with the Albuquerque Police Department for 22 years. They are survived by their families, including Officer King's wife and two sons, aged 18 and 14.
