A wild encounter unfolded on the night of November 10, 2024, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when a man holding a gun turned a tense situation into something bizarre and surreal. The man, identified as 41-year-old Brandon Hovey, refused to comply with police commands, even as officers pointed their guns at him. Instead of cooperating, Hovey began taunting the officers and accusing them of inappropriate behavior.
In a bodycam video from the incident, Hovey made an outrageous claim, saying an officer had touched his testicles. “If you want to grab my balls, just say, ‘Hey, can I please grab your balls?’” he ranted. “I’ll let you grab my scrotum, man. But, come on, that stuff ain’t that cool, dude.”
The situation reportedly began earlier that night outside the Quarter Celtic Brewpub. According to local media, Hovey fired two gunshots into the air and then struck the manager with his gun after being told to leave. Witnesses also said he pointed the weapon at people, taunting them by saying, “Do you want any of this?”
Prosecutors later revealed this wasn’t Hovey’s first dangerous act that week. Just two days earlier, on November 8, he allegedly fired two shots at the feet of two homeless men. Authorities described him as a serious threat to the community. “He appears to be a walking bombshell, and he appears to have found his detonator: a firearm,” prosecutors wrote in their motion to keep him in custody.
Given the circumstances, prosecutors succeeded in getting Hovey held without bond, ensuring he stays behind bars as the case moves forward.
