PREWITT, N.M. – The New Mexico State Police were involved in a shooting near Prewitt on April 16. The shooting left one unidentified suspect deceased, and involved a good Samaritan who stopped his vehicle to assist an officer in need.
Details remain limited as NMSP investigates the shooting. According to preliminary reports by NMSP, an unnamed officer was dispatched to Interstate 40 – milepost 64 – to perform a welfare check on the occupant of a brown BMW car. NMSP said that the occupant of the brown car was slumped over his steering wheel.
The officer approached and made contact with the occupant of the vehicle. Details are sparse, at some point during the welfare check, the officer and occupant began fighting and the officer fired at the occupant using his department issued firearm.
Wounded, the occupant continued to fight the officer. An unidentified good Samaritan noticed the skirmish and pulled over. The Samaritan helped the officer get the wounded occupant under control and arrested. The officer radioed for an ambulance and began to render medical assistance to the wounded occupant.
The occupant succumbed to his injuries before medical assistance could appear. The officer was physically uninjured and has been placed on administrative leave as is standard following an officer involved shooting.
NMSP is investigating this shooting, officers act as factfinders in this situation, all results of their investigation will be turned over to the district attorney’s office where they will determine whether the shooting was justified. This case is still under investigation.