Albuquerque, June 11 (RHC)-- In the U.S. state of New Mexico, a Las Cruces police officer has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for the death of a man after a traffic stop in February.  The officer, Christopher Smelser, remains free on bail.  He is accused of killing Antonio Valenzuela by placing him in a neck restraint. 

Smelser is heard on a newly released lapel video telling Valenzuela: “I’m going to [expletive] choke you out, bro.”  Even after Valenzuela lost consciousness, the video shows Smelser made no attempt to help him. Instead he is heard describing his encounter with Valenzuela as a “good little fight.” 

Antonio Valenzuela was a father of four who worked as a painter.  According to The Washington Post, Las Cruces, New Mexico, had the highest rate of police killings of any city in the country between 2015 and 2019.