“Gun! Gun!”

Those were the words Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina heard his wife say Saturday morning as they were on their way to a press conference with Mayor Tim Keller. Then, a shot was fired.

The incident occurred on Alvarado Drive and Central Avenue.

On Tuesday afternoon, APD released the video statement from the chief, as well as an incident report and a screen shot of the security camera footage showing the man who is suspected of firing the gun. He is described as a white man in his 30s or 40s with a long red beard.

Just before the gun was fired, Medina said he and his wife had witnessed two people fighting near a tent encampment. He was about to call in the incident, when the shot rang out. 

“I saw an individual holding a firearm, pointing it at another individual who was directly in line with my wife,” he said. 

Medina said he stayed there for a second and evaluated the situation.

“I made the decision that if I were to get down, I had two civilians in front of me, and the best thing I could do was get my wife out of the way and regroup and see what the best response would be at that point,” he said.

Medina said he looked to the left and thought the intersection was clear, so he went.

“Unfortunately, I struck a vehicle,” he said. 

An APD spokesperson said in a news release that the crash investigation has confirmed the chief’s account and that he was at a full stop before accelerating. She said he tried to hit the breaks just before crashing into the gold Ford Mustang.

Medina said the occupant of the other vehicle was injured. He was taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital but is expected to fully recover.

“It’s just another sign of how gun violence impacts our community,” Medina said.

Medina said he was worried about his wife during the incident. 

“A poor, innocent citizen driving down the street was the victim in this traffic accident, and it’s a direct impact of what gun violence is doing to our community, and we need to continue to work at it,” he said. 

Medina said he called out and submitted to drug and breathalyzer tests after the crash, and requested an Internal Affairs investigation into the incident, because his camera was not on through the duration.

In the video, Medina said the investigation will show everything that it needs to show.