I call balderdash on the Weekly Alibi for their cover story “Is There Justice For James Boyd?”—a feature listed under the guise of news. I read this one-sided rant and grew increasingly angry that a publication—granted one I usually read only while sitting in the sauna at Defined Fitness cause it’s available and free—would publish such a tirade as an unbiased piece of journalism. The author of this, editorial at best, appears to have done little to no research regarding the topic of his article. Author David Correia takes great pains to minimize the threat of Boyd and maximize the terror and dread presented by APD. He refers several times to the "little" knives Boyd carried around with him for protection and the menacing weapons APD carries. Does Mr. Correia take the journalistic time to research what exactly constitutes a "small knife"? Does he research how many times Mr. Boyd had been in jail or a mental hospital for violent actions and behavior? Does Mr. Correia mention in his article that the police knew that Mr. Boyd was a mentally unbalanced person or how Mr. Boyd was acting in the hours before his fatal shooting. The answer to all of these questions is no. Furthermore, what seems even more outrageous is the fact that Mr. Correia actually places himself in the head of Boyd, giving reasons for his actions as if he had a secret doorway into James Boyd’s mind. It is a talent that I’m sure the Alibi is sure to utilize in the coming months. No other "nonfiction" periodical has a reporter who has the keen insight into a deceased person’s mind the way Mr. Correia does. And the protesters from last week! OMG! After reading this gem of an article, you’d think the protesters who clogged up the Downtown streets last week, delaying several emergency medical crews from responding to calls and returning to hospitals, were standing in the middle of Tiananmen Square facing down tanks ready to shoot them down for their political beliefs. Listen, I, like many of you, have seen the limited amount of lapel camera footage that has been released, and I have to admit it looks bad for APD, but I am willing to wait for an investigation before I begin publishing rants in the local media. I think the men and women in APD are tasked with a thankless job, being only appreciated when somebody actually needs them. Let the department do their investigation into the matter. Until then, I’m sure the next time a mentally unbalanced individual carrying knives on them menaces Mr. Correia or his family, please speed dial the Alibi for help. Don’t be a hypocrite and dial 911.—Paul SerinoManaging editor Samantha Anne Carrillo responds: By way of answering and providing fuller context, above-referenced article “Is There Justice for James Boyd?” was researched and written by David Correia, managing editor of Alibi media partner La Jicarita: An Online Magazine of Environmental Politics in New Mexico. Another La Jicarita article on APD violence recently published in the Alibi, “Life and Death and APD,” presents the research that’s referenced in the essay you’re responding to. Both features are examples of advocacy journalism, fact-based reporting sans pretense of disengaged objectivity.
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