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Monday News Roundup: State Police: Española Officer Shoots Teenager

State Police: Española Officer Shoots Teenager – The Associated Press

A fatal shooting of an armed teenager by an Española police officer is under investigation by New Mexico State Police.

Authorities say two Española officers on Sunday responded to a report of a suspicious person in a parking lot behind a shopping center and then made contact with a person identified as 16-year-old Victor Vialpando of Española.

According to a State Police statement, Vialpando pointed a handgun at the officers and one of the Española officers then fatally shot the youth.

Española Public Safety Director Eric Garcia says the officers had tried to talk the 16-year-old into putting down the gun. He says Vialpando also had a knife.

Garcia says the two officers by policy have been placed on paid administrative leave.

Arrested Protesters To Picket Albuquerque Council - The Associated Press

Demonstrators arrested for staging a sit-in at the Albuquerque mayor's office are planning to picket outside of a scheduled city council meeting.

Protesters say they will hold a demonstration Monday as city councilors are meeting to discuss pending reforms into Albuquerque police.

Last week, 13 demonstrators were arrested for their role in holding a sit-in inside Mayor Richard Berry's office. Twelve face trespassing citations and one faces a battery on a police officer charge. All have been ordered to stay away from City Hall.

The sit-in forced city officials to reschedule a city council meeting. Officials said that rescheduling stalled important business.

The city of Albuquerque is negotiating with the Justice Department over police reforms after the federal agency issued a report criticizing the police department's use of force.

Cops: 1 Dead, 3 Injured In Albuquerque Hit And RunThe Associated Press

Albuquerque police are looking for a black SUV after a hit-and-run accident downtown that left one pedestrian dead and three others injured.

It happened at about 2:20 a.m. Monday around 1st Street and Iron Avenue.

Officer Fred Duran says one person was killed and three people suffered injuries. He had no further information on the victims or the extent of the injuries.

Duran says officers are looking for a faded black SUV that has front-end damage and is occupied by two men.

No other details were immediately released.

Voter Turnout Drops In New Mexico Primary Election - The Associated Press

Fewer New Mexicans turned out to vote in the primary election than the last time the state selected gubernatorial nominees.

According to unofficial election returns from the secretary of state's office, about 20 percent of registered Democrats and Republicans cast ballots in last week's primary.

That turnout rate is down from 28 percent in 2010.

A total of 201,498 votes were cast compared with 258,614 in 2010. That's a drop of about 22 percent.

Turnout ranged from 13 percent in Dona Ana County to 52 percent in Guadalupe County.

Voter turnout often is driven high profile competitive races.

Democrats had a five-way gubernatorial contest this year and GOP Gov. Susana Martinez was unopposed.

In 2010, Martinez won a five-way GOP gubernatorial primary and the Democratic nominee was unopposed.

New Mexico Rafters Get Bump From Extra Water  - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal

Whitewater rafting in northern New Mexico is making waves bigger than expected this summer.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that spring rains and mountain runoff have resulted in high water on the Rio Grande since Memorial Day weekend.

Many river guides say they had been expecting a summer filled with taking patrons on lazy floats.

The state is currently in its fourth year of a drought.

Boy, 15, Rescued From Cliff In Sandia Mountains - The Associated Press

A 15-year-old boy stuck on a cliff in the Sandia Mountains has been rescued.

Albuquerque police say the boy, who is described as developmentally delayed, became separated Saturday while hiking with his church group.

Police spokesman Simon Drobnik says officers from the Open Space Unit joined Bernalillo County Fire Department medics for a search and rescue operation.

Officers found the boy nearly a mile up the trail stuck on a cliff face.

They say he had slid about 200 feet down and was stuck 500 feet from the bottom.

Drobnik says it took about two hours to lower the boy down using ropes and harnesses.

The boy was then taken to a hospital for abrasions to his back and arms and injuries to his hands.