New Mexico man convicted in killing of police officer
LOS LUNAS, N.M. — A New Mexico man was convicted Friday of murder in the shooting death of a suburban Albuquerque police officer during a chaotic traffic stop.
After briefly deliberating, jurors found Andrew Romero guilty of first-degree murder and a number of other charges in the Memorial Day 2015 killing of Rio Rancho Officer Gregg “Nigel” Benner in the case that drew national attention amid violence against police and concerns over police shootings.
Romero, 29, has a lengthy criminal history that includes a manslaughter convicts. At the time Benner was shot, Romero was wanted for failing to participate in a court-ordered drug treatment program.
Benner was an Air Force veteran who had been on the police force for four years. He was shot at the end of his shift as he tried to pull over a vehicle in which Romero was a passenger.