By Jeff Proctor Albuquerque Journal
Albuquerque police have identified the pedestrian struck and killed by an officer early New Year’s Day as Patrick Dennison, 57.
The officer, five-year APD veteran Aaron Zwicky, was responding to calls reporting a fight and possible gunshots on the 2100 block of Gait SW shortly after midnight when he struck Dennison in the westbound lanes of Central Avenue near Coors Boulevard, according to investigators.
A police report written by officer D.J. Romero listed "pedestrian error" as an apparent contributing factor for the crash.
Witnesses told police that a man matching Dennison’s description appeared "intoxicated and belligerent" inside a nearby gas station prior to the crash, investigators said. Police are awaiting the results of toxicology tests.
"Dennison was crossing Central NW in an open area of Central," according to a separate APD report. "Dennison was not in a crosswalk. Per the officers that witnessed the crash, Dennison was wearing blue jeans and a dark colored jacket. Officer Zwicky attempted to avoid the crash by turning his vehicle to the left. This caused his vehicle to enter the center median and spin around resulting in the car stopping in a turn bay."
Zwicky had the emergency lights on top of his police car turned on at the time of the crash, investigators said.
He was scheduled to have Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off work and told APD officials that he was ready to return to duty today. He was not placed on leave.
APD policy says officers involved in fatal crashes are only placed on leave if their supervisors determine it is necessary.
Zwicky’s police vehicle was towed from the scene with "heavy damage," according to Romero’s report.
Dennison has a history of arrests in Albuquerque, court records show. Many of them have been alcohol related. He has twice been convicted of DWI.
A grand jury in September 2010 determined that Zwicky was justified in his shooting of a 42-year-old man who had kidnapped two women. Julian Calbert lunged at Zwicky with a knife outside the Flying J truck stop near 98th Street and Interstate 40, police said.
Copyright 2012 Albuquerque Journal
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