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Video: Officer shoots suspect who charged at him with knife

The officer repeatedly told the suspect to drop the large knife

By Suzie Ziegler

SANTA FE, N.M. — Police have released body camera footage capturing the shooting of a suspect brandishing a large knife.

According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, Santa Fe police Officer Brandon Deets was responding to a call on June 7 when the incident occurred.

As Deets arrives on scene, he asks a bystander if the suspect has a knife. A few seconds later, the video shows a man exiting a white pick up truck with a large bowie-style knife.

The suspect, identified by police as 33-year-old Joseph Galassini, ignores several commands to drop the weapon. He then starts to approach officers with the knife.

That’s when Deets shoots three times and the suspect falls to the ground.

Galassini was given medical treatment and then booked into the county jail. He’s facing multiple counts of aggravated battery and assault with a deadly weapon, as well as aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon, according to the criminal complaint obtained by the Santa Fe New Mexican.

The complaint alleges the incident began when Galassini tried to steal a jacket from a store. A man and his girlfriend saw Galassini allegedly walk out with the jacket and tried to pull it off him. The two men got into a struggle, the complaint said.

Then an unidentified man approached and pointed a small pistol at Galassini. One of the store’s assistant managers took the pistol from him and pointed it again at Galassini, the complaint says. That’s when officers arrived and Deets’ body camera picked up the rest.

The Santa Fe Police Department says the officers involved have returned to work. An investigation is ongoing.

“Although Mr. Galassini has been arrested and charged with criminal offenses, the events that occurred prior to the arrival of our officers remains under active investigation by Santa Fe Police detectives,” Deputy Police Chief Ben Valdez said in an email Tuesday.

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