Three suspects were taken into custody after a New Mexico police officer was shot dead during a traffic stop.
According to Las Cruces Sun-News, Hatch Police officer Jose Chavez, 33, was shot during a traffic stop after pulling over a grey Lexus at 3:41 p.m. Friday.
“During the traffic stop, a passenger who was in that vehicle reportedly exited the vehicle and fired shots at the officer,” Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Kelly Jameson said.
Chavez died on Friday evening at University Medical Center in El Paso. Another officer responding to the traffic stop witnessed the shooting and called for medical attention.
KRQE reports the second officer engaged in a high speed chase with the shooter along Interstate 25.
The suspects carjacked another vehicle during the chase and shot the driver, whose condition is unknown.
“The suspects abandoned the vehicle they were in and reportedly carjacked a red Chevrolet Cruze at the rest area and allegedly shot the driver of that car,” Jameson said.
The manhunt came to an end, as police were able to flatten the vehicles tires using stop sticks and “coax” the driver out of the vehicle.
“He surrendered to our deputies. At that point, the deputies noticed that the driver of the vehicle who was the suspect again was suffering from a gunshot wound to the thigh,” said Jameson.
The driver was taken into custody at around 5 p.m. The other two suspects were captured before 7 p.m. after attempting to flee the scene.
Police did not identify the suspects and the incident remains under investigation.
[Source:UPI]
