Doña Ana County Sheriff’s detectives, assisted by members of the sheriff’s Special Response Team (SRT), attempted to serve an arrest warrant Wednesday on an allegedly armed and dangerous man who was wanted on charges related to an ongoing domestic violence investigation. After a brief confrontation, the armed man was subsequently shot and killed after he attempted to escape from the window of a motel room.
The incident happened at around 1 p.m. in the 700 block of North Valley Drive at the Days End Motel. The wanted subject was believed to be inside a first-floor room of the motel.
Deputies with the SRT made contact with a woman who answered the door of the motel room, but she denied that the subject on the arrest warrant was in the room. Deputies then heard gunshots and learned the subject had attempted to escape out the window of the room.
Additional members of the SRT were positioned outside the motel near the window. After a brief confrontation with the armed subject, he was consequently shot and killed.
Deputies and detectives on scene administered first aid to the man until fire and ambulance personnel arrived, but the man died shortly afterward.
The arrest warrant that had recently been obtained for the man was for charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, and battery against a household member. All three allegations stemmed from a domestic violence incident that was under investigation by the sheriff’s department.
The identity of the man is being withheld pending notification of family. The detective who was involved in the shooting will be placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard policy of the department.
An investigation of the Officer-Involved Shooting Task Force has been launched. The task force is a multi-agency unit that includes members of New Mexico State Police, Las Cruces Police Department, New Mexico State University Police, and the Third Judicial District Attorney’s Office. The Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department is the lead investigative agency in the incident.
Information from Dona Ana County