Las Cruces Police and a multi-agency task force are investigating the events leading to the officer-involved shooting death of an alleged robbery suspect, 36-year-old Juan Gabriel Torres on Sunday.
Las Cruces Police were investigating the robbery of a white pickup truck Sunday afternoon, following the suspect to Lohman Avenue at the I-25 overpass. According to a Las Cruces Police Spokesman, Juan Gabriel Torres got out of the car carrying a bottle of beer and a large knife.
Las Cruces Police Chief Jaime Montoya says when Torres was instructed to drop the knife, he lunged at the officers.
“The individual that we were looking for earlier for a robbery and stealing of a car was located at Lohman and I-25” Montoya said. “When officer’s requested for him to drop his knife he did not do so, when he lunged at the officers they were forced to use deadly force. He was shot multiple times and transported to the hospital.”
Montoya says two, or possibly three officers involved in the shooting death have been placed on administrative leave, as is standard procedure, pending further investigation.
“When they’re forced with a deadly force situation,” Montoya said. “It can be a gun, it can be a knife, it can be a bat, they feel they’re life is in danger, or your life is in danger. They can use that deadly force to protect you and themselves.”
A video posted to Facebook captured part of the incident, and Chief Montoya says they have body camera footage of the incident. He says some of the footage may be released after they’ve completed gathering witness statements.
“That is dependent on getting our witnesses interviewed because we don’t want to taint their recollection,” Montoya said. “We want to make sure we get all their statements on record, and then we’ll look at releasing some of that video coverage. We’re working with the DA’s office to make sure that gets done. It will not be the full video coverage of course, but it will be portions from where we first met up with him, until maybe right before he get’s shot.”
Las Cruces Police are asking any witnesses of the incident to call police at 575-526-0795 with any information they may have.
Following standard protocol, the incident is currently under investigation by Las Cruces Police and the Officer- involved Incident task force.
Information From Las Cruces Police:
Las Cruces Police are continuing to investigate the sequence of events that led to Sunday’s shooting on Lohman Avenue that resulted in the death of 36-year-old Juan Gabriel Torres.
Torres, of Las Cruces, was shot shortly after 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, after he lunged toward an officer on Lohman Avenue. Torres was transported to a local hospital where he died.
The incident began at about 3 p.m. when officers were dispatched to the report of a robbery and theft of a pickup at an address near the 1300 block of Lohman Avenue. Officers learned that the suspect stole a 2012 white Chevrolet pickup from an 86-year-old man and fled from the area.
At about 4:30 p.m., LCPD officers observed the white pickup as it drove by the initial crime scene. Officers began to pursue the truck as it headed east on Lohman Avenue but broke off the pursuit because of heavy traffic. A short time later, officers caught up with the truck that was abandoned in the eastbound lanes of traffic on Lohman, directly above I-25. The driver, later identified as Torres, had exited the pickup prior to officers arriving at the overpass.
Investigators later learned that Torres was armed with a large knife and holding a bottle of beer when he tried to open the door to at least one vehicle on Lohman Avenue.
Evidence shows the officers ordered Torres to drop the knife but he refused to do so. The officers discharged their weapons when Torres lunged toward one of the officers. Torres was struck multiple times.
No officers were injured during the incident. As is standard procedure, the officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.
Other vehicles were on Lohman Avenue at the time of the incident. Investigators are still asking for witnesses from those vehicles to call police, at (575) 526-0795, with any information they may have.
The incident remains under investigation by Las Cruces Police and the Officer-involved Incident Task Force, which is standard protocol for a use of deadly force incident. The task force includes investigators from LCPD, New Mexico State Police, the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State University Police.
Information from Las Cruces Police
