Albuquerque police officers face second-degree murder charges in shooting of homeless man

A special prosecutor in New Mexico will seek second-degree murder charges against two Albuquerque police officers in the 2014 shooting death of a knife-wielding homeless man that triggered protests in the city, court papers showed on Monday.

Officers Dominique Perez and Keith Sandy are also accused by special prosecutor Randi McGinn of voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault, according to the papers filed in state court on Monday.

A preliminary hearing in the case has been set for Aug. 3.

Word of the charges came amid a national debate over police use of force following the deaths of African-American men in Missouri and New York, and the decision by grand juries not to charge the officers involved.

Sandy and Perez shot 38-year-old James Boyd, who was white, after a four-hour standoff in the Sandia foothills.

His killing prompted protests against the Albuquerque police department, which the federal government found has used excessive, even deadly, force against civilians. It is facing reforms and is under federal monitoring.