ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Officials have released the autopsy report on 15-year-old Brett Rosenau who died in a house fire during a police standoff. The results confirm what officials said, that Rosenau died of smoke inhalation during that July standoff in southeast Albuquerque.
The Albuquerque Police Department and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office were at the home trying to get a wanted suspect, 27-year-old Qiaunt Kelley, to come out. Video was released of an Albuquerque Fire Rescue robot trying to remove the gas canister deputies threw inside that sparked the fire.
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The attorney for Rosenau’s family says the results will be part of their wrongful death lawsuit against the city. “It only confirms what we believe to be true, the night that brett died specifically, this was avoidable,” said Taylor Smith, attorney.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Hector Balderas says his office has brought in national experts to review the case. At this point, he says his team is not moving toward criminal charges against the officers. The goal rather is to identify procedural failures that led to Rosenau’s death. “We were looking to see if the operation made any mistakes or could improve its practices. So, we’re both looking at both an opportunity and maybe a liability assessment,” said Balderas. He expects to release his report in the coming weeks.
