hey Matthew can you tell me what you saw
happen I was at mailbox in the car and
couple Zip by I don't know how FC TV
guys assuming was together I remember
thinking idiots and then as soon as I
thought that they lost control it crash
so I ran over there uh when I first
arrived on scene the girl was
[Music]
dead copat is 56 Copwatch TV takes you
to Albuquerque New Mex ago in off duty
Albuquerque Police Department Officer
Don Korea and his wife were involved in
a serious injury ATV
crash down so the situation was we got
dis2 there was an ATV wreck
here and the woman was in very bad
condition sir could you sit down right
there for us sir are you okay yeah
what's your what's your name
Don Don what
pra hi John so there was a mention of of
a firearm that's why we're here now okay
oh no is there a firearm anywhere not on
me no no do you got anything on you he
going to cut me poke me or make me bleed
or my friends over there would it be
okay with you for me to check yeah can
you put your hands on top of your head
all right where where's the gun there's
no gun did somebody miss here you then
let's go over
there how'd you get that injury to your
head uh we took a
tumble hi hi we would rescue you were on
the ATV accident yeah so I'll say a
couple things aloud and to see if the
stories are all the same okay because we
arrived after the accident so our
understanding is what happened is people
were traveling with a female who were
helping them on an ATV cash right over
is that correct yes that's correct okay
and then you were here and left the
scene after calling 911 called I don't
know who yes and we came here and we are
taking her C transport to
UNH I don't know the extens for injuries
okay yes how are you feeling right now
fine did you have any loss of
consciousness no okay do you want us to
check you out because you are you got a
pretty good erasion ha on top of your
head
and given her injuries you might be
we're happy to do a medical assessment
no
it's fine weide stitches okay yeah do
you want me to get to an ambulance or
ride into the hospital no certainly do
well let me just ask you a quick
question this is because I'm concerned
are you possibly have any drugs or
alcohol on board today like we drinking
it's a holiday weekend had a couple
drinks no ma'am drugs anything okay no
okay and um you don't feel like you lost
Consciousness no okay no I
maybe stitches I don't know but we're
happy to do basic Bridal on you and see
if your moving normal be advis you had a
wre you do that yeah you
can H I had firearm in my
Tru dude back just Che his way so I have
the telephone number for two witnesses
who saw the wreck saw her squirming
around they may have been the ones who
called and then saw him run away they
thought he was going I don't know why
but they did I have their phone number I
told him I don't know be
recorded told out of here we didn't
know come back I secured the fire using
gloves not touching it it's in the back
seat of my P I would like to thinking it
to you I and that's why I was a little
like this when he rolled back up again
so I'm going to use high index of
Suspicion with him he may just be a guy
carries when he goes out riding I have
no idea yeah but it could be something
else what are her injuries
severe can you describe him to me is she
not going to make
it um I can try and get in contact but
we was with our rescue um I was
concentrating on trying to get the
history this my role from the bystanders
yeah the Medics did What's called the
scoop and run SC run the gurnie took her
looked like there was head trauma looks
like there was other trauma she was in a
very unnatural position on the ground
she's not responsive I do not know she
had a pulse I do not know she's breeding
okay sir where where's the ATV at go
home home all
right hey
Serge hey so this it's kind of like a
single vehicle 44 I
think um well I I guess it's it's an
ATV on in the aoo um so this guy was
armed with a handgun for some reason
fled uh he's just 19 he's back here now
he's got some pretty he's he's pretty
banged up but the uh 43 is saying that
the female is uh they went coach she's
she's category she took a really bad
Temple and for some reason the husband
took off with his ATV he's denying
having any alcohol right now I'm not
smelling anything on him uh 43 somehow
found his firearm and and secured it
they they have it with them on the on
the female she's being transported to
UNM code they're saying that she was not
looking
good uh cuz the 43 saying they they're
like the only reason he came back is
probably because he realized he didn't
have this gun and they they have it I'm
about to grab it from
him I
see oh
God
loaded with One in the Chamber you see
where that sort of Flat Rock or whatever
that shoe is right there still Sho yeah
it must be is ORS okay that's where she
was
she I see the blood now hey guys this is
now a crime scene I want you guys to and
I just got this information now just
just stay away from for now is he in
custody should I leave him with you what
do you want what do we do he's detained
right now I'm calling out detectives out
here to are are the fast detectiv I'm
going to I'm I don't to be the one to
make that decision so I'm going to call
them and see what they what they want to
do with I've never had a fatal ATB
accident I don't know it's fatal well
well in this a category yeah ATV
accident uh so he is detain um if you
guys need to transport him or if he
wants to be transported we're not going
to deny him any medical services we can
we get him wherever he's at if you guys
go I'll just follow you or follow
whoever transports well he just said he
just wanted stitches into know what he
just said he wanted to know wanted to go
to his wife okay that's different than
noral medical for well what whatever he
wants he can have it's not a big deal we
we'll follow not getting a ride from we
can't transport him in the fire truck of
course I could pull out an as unit but
they're not transporting him down to UNH
they will say no we're going to go the
nearest and us going be rest okay so I
is going to help
him all cuz he's wanting stitches right
now I work the airport he was just
asking Steve to give
us um I'm gonna I'm GNA call the the
witnesses real quick um just have him
hang out if he tries to leave he just
let him know he's detained okay Donald
we have a lot of questions yeah of
course cuz we weren't here to see what
what kind of happened yeah I've got a
couple phone calls I need to let my
sergeant know what's going on I'm going
to be completely honest if you are
detained right now you're not free to
leave I need you to stay here and answer
my questions okay would you mind having
a you until then yeah I don't want I
don't want you to be baking in the sun
can we get you in the shade no it's just
go right there all right just go thank
you all right so what we got so far here
we walk over here actually this is
Caitlyn K hey kayin this is Officer
Johnson alquerque Police Department
thanks for uh giving your phone number
to the firefighters here
yeah of course could could you tell me
what did you see the entire accident I
did not I was actually checking the mail
my husband was in the car and he saw
them crash so he's right here if you
want to talk to him yeah whoever saw the
entire incident it'd be very helpful to
kind of understand what happened here
okay um here he is
okay H hello this is Officer Johnson Aly
Police Department our conversation's
being recorded who am I speaking with
Matthew hey Matthew can you tell me what
you saw happen I was in a car and cou Z
by I don't
know idiot and soon that they lost
control of it crashed when I first
arrived on scene the girl was dead um no
pulses no
breathing um guy was cautious but misc
combobulated bleeding heavily from his
head um
was getting ready to start CPR then she
started gasping and went just last
seizure put her in the recovery
position the guy started kind of
recovering and he started being real
strange I smell alcohol in both of them
okay we were getting ready to start CPR
and then she started having a seizure
breathing and uh and was he was he alert
and oriented or was he also unconscious
not not at first at first he was really
misc combobulated but he was able to
stand up and start walking around so was
just pretty much ignoring him at that
point then his behavior started getting
weird he started Gathering all the
things and he had no know his wife's
spraying blood out of her ears and your
nose and seing and he has no doesn't
even check on her he's getting all his
stuff he's trying to flip the ATV
over um I realiz there was a
gun and and she was seizing or was
someone doing CPR while he was flipping
the ATV
no she was having a seizure I had her in
the recovery position and and he was
just trying to flip the ATV over yeah he
was clearly trying to get out of it okay
and about that time I realized there was
gun lying on the ground and he was
walking around gra Gathering his things
so I grabbed a
gun had my wife go to the car and lock
the
doors okay and and then what happened
next he walked over and started trying
to grab his pull her up saying let's go
let's
go said you're going to kill her she
injury don't touch her don't move her
every's on the
way and then he
said can you just help me flip the ATV
and I said you know you need to run or
something's wrong you need to go but I'm
gonna stay here with your wife you say
okay well just help me flip the ATV so I
flipped the ATV and he took off and then
what did he do
next what did he do yeah he was gone he
he got on ATV and he drove away left
her wow
okay um did you did you hear them say
anything so the like I said the the girl
was actually dead when I arrived on
scene she had like she she was
unconscious all the way up until uh the
ambulance picked her
up the husband talked to me a couple
times
uh just saying that he was trying to
tell me he was okay I tell him to sit
down he okay I mean the guy's got to end
up an he had a severe injury to his
forehead like skull
showing okay this is Caitlyn Kell hey uh
Caitlin and Matthews this AAR Johnson
again I'm sorry I just thought of a
question um what was he wearing oh so I
wrote down his
description um just when I got home so
he was wearing like a black T-shirt and
like camo shorts and he's like a six
foot Caucasian man he's bald and has no
facial hair he's probably like in his
late
40s okay uh any other any other
clothing um I didn't he was buing like
flipflops but those obviously flew off
but that's all the clothing that he was
wearing okay thank you you're welcome
all right bye me let me talk yeah I
would
appreciate hey I'm a sergeant Brennan o
over I work over here in the Northwest
okay uh
I don't have all the details on what
happened today but our our primary uh
primarily Our concern is your wellbeing
right now and obviously is that your
wife that was taken to the hospital yes
sir so so both of you guys are are
primarily are concerned right now what I
what I would ask CU I mean you're you're
bleeding pretty profusely I didn't see
all that earlier I and it's it's a
head I uh just I didn't need to go to
the hospital would you do that for
me can I pleas want well I'm not going
to pull you in handcuffs and force you
over my shoulder and carry you to the
hospital but I highly recommend it and I
would rather no I understand where you
guys you
guys
I yeah heal health is first it's number
one I did it starts I just I my wife you
know
um down
to I would say you and
M if all of you guys can understand one
thing I've been injured wors in last all
the years of my life and this is so but
I know you guys that's
your but I have to I have to sign a
piece of paper that says you know you
guys are not liable for sign I'm good
you
have I
had of them since St but you
know we need to get to the hospital we
you do that for him come onge I don't
need to go I just I I want to go
well we can't do that right now I don't
think you should be driving right now no
I think no I'm not going to drive well
so as far as as far as that goes if
you're concerned about the welfare
wellbeing of your wife you'd be a lot
closer to Earth at the hospital than you
are right right here and sit on the end
of this curb I did it and we we can
assist you in getting that transport
over there you'll be in the same
building we're going to probably have to
keep you guys separated for a little bit
but no I get it get that's if we can get
you to her you guys understand that I
don't need to go to the hospital I I
honestly am having a hard time
understanding that right now I I need
you to of help
your I don't it'll it'll it's you guys
don't what blood does with
wounds
it's these
cled these clotted this was a dog bite
two weeks ago so can we do this can we
have have um one of the people that
would potentially take you at least come
out here and talk to you and do an
assessment and then we'll come to our
our determination after that we'll kind
of all talk about
it Serge I don't need to go with
freaking hospital I
don't be able to
answer here's but there's head injuries
you I
think head injuries can be a problem I'm
going to step back for a minute I get
some info from the PO let me oh I got
some more stuff to pit you on too for my
phone
call what's up man let just checking see
if these guys at video they do not okay
so what do you got so far man so so far
um it's just really 31 so this guy was
passenger is what the witness is saying
he's a passenger he's saying he was
passenger and that the life was driving
um um they were coming down just going
westbound the Witnesses were standing at
the mailboxes that's behind this truck
down there uhuh they saw him flying down
the guy said he was probably going to
Max Speed but they he could have gone
they started to have speed wobbles
somewhere right right around here
navigating this corner M uh lost control
Smack That Wall he saw the bodies go up
in the air 20 to 30 ft which witness is
this um you said they're over there by
that truck no no no no they were
standing over there there's a where the
mailboxes are okay okay um they are
nearby as far as I know perfect um but
Matthew and and Caitlyn um they rushed
over here uh started try helping the
female um they she started to seize they
put her in a rescue position they called
911 this guy came to eventually uh and
then was only concerned with trying to
collect his property flip the ATV over
uh get back where get it back yeah he's
back at his house he also Chang just
close um uh the the Witnesses were like
hey don't touch sure she's she he said
that she that he knew she was dead
immediately soon as soon as he walked up
um but he still was trying to help her
out with the fact that she was season uh
he tried to grab her and and and pull
her towards the ATV once he got a
flipped to like get out of there and the
witness was like hey stop touching her
she spine spy broken he says okay I got
to go um but I'll be right back and he
he takes off um was last thing wearing a
black shirt with camo C camo pants um
The holster still over there um um the
witness saw the firearm on the ground
after he left secured it I gave it to 43
who gave it to me it's in my my car
right now okay the holster still over
there and while I was taping this off
there's a backpack back there covered in
blood that looks like he was trying to
hide uh that's behind the Rocks back
there okay um I go ahead do you uh so
does any do have witnesses Place him as
the driver to your knowledge okay and
what has he said anything to anybody
driver uh just to 43 I was just
listening on their conversation when
they're talking him okay uh he said
something somebody I'm not sure who said
it said you want to do something stupid
before this all this this whole thing
happened um it's just really 31 right
now um I need
a what do you call I'm wait for the rest
of uh the unit and I'll kind of go from
there but I'll be case agent so when you
do your original 42 am I doing am I
doing tracks doing tracks yeah okay
doing tracks uh see about running that
gun through NCI I already run it it's
good back negative yeah just uh 42 and
then send it to me and I'll let you know
from there what what I so what he said
that's what I was say earlier he
mentioned that he's a a helicopter
mechanic so I don't know if he's worried
about his uh flight
license um oh that yeah oh okay I and
personally as a pilot myself I feel like
that's kind of what he's that was my
other question I think that's what's not
causing is there any 47 involved to your
knowledge yes okay yeah E you smell it
or yeah okay okay all right so and the
witness witness said that he he smelled
his strong too so I don't know if he
picked up whatever bottles they had it
might be in that bag that's back there
all right so we'll leave the back there
um I'll talk to the FI wait for this
unit keep him detained put him in a car
if need be cuz it's kind of hot out no
we offered okay so as long as he's
somewhere secured that's fine and we
also tried to convince him to go to the
hospital I don't know if they told you
or not that's his blood right there
while he was hanging out his wound like
reopened up and started bleeding yeah I
just realized I thought he had a turbine
know his uh no they they bandaged that
after like four
refusals that's that's where we're at
okay so we'll keep him secured I'm going
to wait for everybody else Serge
um just keep it how it is for now sir do
you want to sit in in one of our cars
and get some AC on you it's hot out here
man n it's all right Serge I'm good okay
we're not saying that to trip you up or
nothing but uh no it's not a trick like
oh going to jail I'm just if you want
some air well no I'm I'm fine I'm fine
really um so where we're at right now is
we have some other officers that they
specifically work crashes like this
there are traffic officers they're going
to come over here they'd like to speak
with you okay um I just asked that you
kind of hang tight like you are now I
was just wondering if you want some
better shade that looks kind of like a
I'm fine I'm fine okay so um the only
thing other thing I want to ask you do
you do you have a phone on you anything
like that no I don't doesn't look like I
don't see it um usually whenever before
they talk with you we we hang on to the
phones but I don't think have one yeah
uh I just asked you keep hanging out a a
little bit longer for us okay all right
thank you officer Tim mccarson arrives
and recognizes off-duty cop as
Albuquerque Police Department helicopter
pilot Don
Korea
yeah
okay now you have
right any time not to answer my question
make
statement yes
sir um of
course
about
c i and I were riding home on a Qua we
should have
been it's
over my
wife took it back
home took it back home
yes it's not uncommon for my wife and I
to have
mishaps back home
and
and
[Applause]
like
M no not
m whatever Fireball I had at home when I
got back
there I took
back
yeah
my yeah I I get it I'm I wasn't driving
damn quad so you know I I I'm not going
to we we're not going to go through this
game we're not and I apologize to you
and everybody I'm I
can't nobody could tell me if my wife's
still okay in the hospital that the wife
and I up Tim should have been
driving the damn fla on the
street all
right
so I'm not saying anymore I wasn't
driving
quad no I was not driving it when it
crashed
yes I can't Tim I mean you guys can
smoke me you know I couldn't ask for
anything better
actually I could not ask for anything
but I want out I want
out
you guys
going you guys going to turn me apart
huh yeah I I know I know that I know
that guys I just I wasn't driving the
quad the
wife the wife and I screwed up we
shouldn't have been I mean we lived so
close to I know shouldn't have been
doing it we're screwed up whatever you
guys need to do you can do I I couldn't
ask anything better than to get out of
this job I'm serious it's not you're
guys SP I don't even know how long
last
anyway whatever you need to do
to I'm officer Korea has now admitted
defeat and realizes his career is over
and seems happy about it
I wasn't driving a damn
SP what's
that I did I did I went I took it
down why would that be a concern
though I I I know I know you guys are
going to tear me apart but my wife and I
do outdoor stuff all the time we get
hurt we get hurt all the time so I had a
neighbor flip the quad over hey let me
get that thing back to the freaking
house and I'm coming
back
still also
let see
you
I did that I
back I came I came
back I
wasn't
no my
concern simple is we told
the the time that this quad was being
flipped over and put back upright so you
could leave you smelled with
alcohol all
right I get it course this guy do his
investigation of course I yeah I get her
of course you cooperate I mean though I
me investigation soand you know what
she yeah make her
decision I understand now you got to do
what you got to do um I just I'd like to
know if my wife's okay I honestly I have
no idea okay I'm being honest I have no
clue iard she still not I um I asked uh
one of the other officers if they could
turn off we the wife and I had an oven
going on with SK somebody can turn it
off in the house you guys go in the
house definitely send somebody down
there okay okay no
no no more question no we done yep sorry
officer says he's done talking to police
because he realizes he's hopelessly in
trouble don't apologize to me okay just
if that's if that's
your that's your answer that's
okay yes sir um but we're going to do
what we got to do of course I wasn't
driving um there's a backpack behind the
uh
rocks um that we my wife and I left
there you guys can grab it
Charlotte Car whatever all right done
well yes sir we're going to have to do
what we got to do okay no of
course I see I mean you got blood all
over your face and everything uh you got
a little bit of blood leaking down the
side of your face you want to watch wipe
that off real quick or oh yeah of
course it's good all right would put CH
back behind your back yes sir right now
I'm placing you under arrest gra all
under the in intoxicating
Y no longer free to leave on video
recording
course
[Applause]
gonna um so at this point just that we
are you're in the no um no felony
charges okay we have no felony charges
we talked to the district attorney's
office um only thing we have is
misdemeanor uh
47 um for him okay so in temporary oh in
negligent
negligent yeah so I'll miss demeanor
charges okay um so no felony charges um
all right Don better advise you this so
right now you're under arrest Drive M
intoxicated okay the mexic imply consent
required disat breath test to DET
the okay after you take our test you
have the right to choose an additional
independent test if you choose to take
this additional independent test you
have the right to a reasonable
opportunity to arrange for a physician a
licensed nurse a laboratory technician
or technologist who is employed by a
hospital or physician of your own choice
to perform this additional chemical test
the cost of the additional chemical test
is paid for by the Albuquerque Police
Department do you understand everything
I said so far yes sir okay do you agree
to take a breath alcoh I
do
this is
Prett down while we're reading on this
yes sir SP liutenant earlier okay um we
just want to make sure you completely
understand that from here until Tuesday
morning you're not representing
of
course it's actually at the airport
anyhow so okay Tuesday Morning 0800 you
need to be down
to
okay okay of course understand I know
it's a lot what's going on
but I understand any questions at all no
sir right Don here's our mouth pieces
brand new ever used it before you all
right this machine's ready I'm going to
tear it up and H it up to the
tube Hard 5 to 7 Seconds I'll let you
know when the stop
yep B deep breath and
[Music]
[Music]
blow
hey Don the only thing that I can tell
you is your wife is in
ICU that's the only thing the only
comments that I can find is they just
report that she's an
i
okay thanks
officer Coro was charged with DWI
tampering with evidence and negligent
use of a deadly weapon he was fired from
APD in late December of 2021 a plea deal
was struck in court and he pled guilty
to a single charge of tampering with
evidence