On June 20, 2026, a confrontation was preceded by an unrelated incident, when 41-year-old Stephen Griego reported being pepper-sprayed and having his cellphone stolen during an altercation downtown. Authorities said Griego later shared videos about that encounter on social media, and investigators believe he armed himself before returning to the area on July 3rd, because of what had happened previously. Just before midnight, Griego was riding an electric scooter near Central Avenue and 3rd Street when he became involved in a verbal dispute with 40-year-old Juan Ortega. The argument quickly turned physical after Ortega shoved Griego, who then moved around a nearby barricade, pulled a handgun from his waistband, and opened fire.
According to investigators, Griego fired two shots within seconds of each other. Police say the first bullet struck 38-year-old Richard Thyberg, who had become involved in the confrontation, while the second hit Ortega. Officers assigned to patrol the busy downtown nightlife district heard the gunfire and immediately rushed toward the scene. As they closed in, they encountered Griego while the armed confrontation was still unfolding. Officers repeatedly ordered him to stop before four officers fired their weapons, striking Griego multiple times. Police later said one officer reported believing Griego was advancing toward the wounded Ortega, who was already on the ground, creating what the officer perceived to be an immediate deadly threat. Griego was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Investigators said he suffered six gunshot wounds.
The shooting left four people injured in total. Ortega and Thyberg both survived their gunshot wounds, although Ortega later died days afterward from what police described as an apparent overdose unrelated to the shooting. A fourth victim, who was standing roughly a block away, was struck by a stray bullet that investigators believe may have been fired by an officer, though officials say ballistic and trajectory testing must be completed before the source can be confirmed. Detectives also recovered a Glock 48 handgun at the scene, and investigators later learned the firearm had allegedly been stolen from a friend of Griego before the shooting. The case remains under review by the Multi-Agency Task Force, APD Internal Affairs, and the department’s Force Review Board, with the completed investigation expected to be forwarded to the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether the officers’ use of deadly force was legally justified.
