A young police cadet over halfway done with the process of training for the Albuquerque Police Department was killed by her husband earlier this week in a murder-suicide, authorities in New Mexico say.
Taylor Hagan, 32, was a victim of domestic violence, according to law enforcement. A member of the current police academy, the victim was part of a class 17 weeks into the 26-week course.
The fatal violence occurred on Tuesday afternoon in the apartment the couple shared at the Olympus Encantada complex near the corner of San Pedro Drive and San Antonio Drive.
“Taylor was working hard to meet the challenges of becoming an APD officer,” Albuquerque Police Chief Medina said in a press release. “She chose to serve the community as a police officer and keep the community safe. My sincere condolences go out to her family and loved ones on behalf of the entire APD family.”
Officers arrived at the apartment just after 4 p.m. in response to reports of a disturbance, the police department said.
Homicide detectives determined Hagan was shot and killed by her husband, Briton Hagan, 41, who then shot himself.
Both died at the scene, police said.
The couple’s 8-year-old son was with a neighbor by the time police arrived, according to the Albuquerque Journal. It was unclear if the child was in his family’s residence at the time of the shooting.
Details about the killing are scarce.
There is no motive being publicly floated.
Taylor Hagan, back row fourth from left, appears in a photo with her police academy class (Albuquerque Police Department)
Taylor Hagan’s fellow cadets were apprised of their loss by Medina on Tuesday evening, police said. When the victim’s body was taken to the medical examiner’s office, she was escorted by the department’s color guard.
The Journal reported that Briton Hagan received his doctorate in physical education from the University of New Mexico in 2017.
“Domestic violence tends to increase during the holidays,” police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos told the paper. “If someone is in immediate danger, we urge them to leave or have someone they can trust stay with them and call a crisis hotline for assistance, location of a women’s shelter, counseling and crisis intervention.”
A domestic violence advocate agreed that incidents increase during the holiday season — and offered a lifeline for victims.
“We have advocates working during the holidays that can respond to the scene of domestic violence and begin to provide services to the victim right away,” Domestic Violence Resource Center Director Maria Cahuenas told local ABC affiliate KOAT. “We understand how difficult it is to talk about it, to even process it. We will meet the victims where they are. They don’t need to disclose anything that’s happening. They can contact us to see what’s available in the community.”
The fallen police cadet was mourned by the city’s elected leadership as well.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of police cadet Taylor Hagan and are keeping her loved ones and fellow cadets in our prayers,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said in the press release. “Domestic violence affects people from all walks of life and incidents can unfortunately increase during the holidays, so I urge everyone in our community to be on the look-out for warning signs of abuse.”
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