SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Federal prosecutors will not pursue the death penalty in a case of a Navajo man accused of killing a tribal police officer.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports Officer Houston Largo was killed in March 2017 during a traffic stop north of Thoreau.
Authorities charged Kirby Cleveland, alleging he recounted shooting a police officer to his wife after the killing.
It is unclear why U.S. Attorney John Anderson pulled back from plans to pursue capital punishment in the case. A spokesman declined to comment on Monday beyond a one-page motion filed by prosecutors in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque.
A federal judge had set a three-day hearing on the motions for next week.
Prosecutors have moved to cancel and re-set the hearing.
The Navajo Nation opposes the death penalty.
