Authorities in Bernalillo County are investigating whether a pepper spray canister thrown into a barricaded suspect’s home was to blame for a 15-year-old boy’s death.
The incident occurred on July 6, when detectives were trying to arrest Qiaunt Kelly, 27, who had barricaded himself inside a home with the victim, 15-year-old Brett Rosenau, who was also wanted over a shooting.
A SWAT team was involved in the eight-hour-long standoff along with BCSO deputies; law enforcement used every means, including flash bangs and ferret rounds, to get the pair out of the home.
But when a deputy threw a pepper spray device into the residence, it smoldered on a mattress before setting it on fire. Soon, the entire house took flame with Kelly surrendering and Rosenau dying inside from smoke inhalation.
“Clearly, this was an issue in this fire that we’ve never experienced before, but we are looking at that as well as maybe other options for when we’re dealing with a barricaded subject, what else can be done to mitigate that,” officials said.
Albuquerque Police Department Chief Harold Medina said that the situation was an APD’s call regardless of who three the canister.
“I just want to make sure that’s out there loud and clear, that this was an APD-initiated response. We wanted to take Kelley into custody and this is an APD issue.”
