The Officer Involved Task Force (NM State Police, Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office, and NM State University Police Department, and LCPD) is continuing the investigation that started Monday. LCPD has identified the man involved in yesterday’s shooting as Jose Salas, 29, of Las Cruces. Salas died of gunshot wounds at the scene. Police must first positively identify a person and notify the next of kin prior to releasing a name.
The officers that were involved in the shooting will not be named as the incident is still under investigation by the Officer Involved Shooting Task Force.
All roads and areas that were blocked off have been reopened.
Previous post:
Las Cruces Police are investigating an officer involved shooting in the 1500 block of La Fonda Drive. On Monday at about noon, LCPD officers were dispatched to an affray involving at least 2 people off of La Fonda Drive. The suspect confronted one of the responding officers and subsequently stole a grey 2000 model ford pickup.
As he fled in the stolen vehicle the LCPD officer fired at least one round as the suspect as he was fleeing. U.S. Border Patrol, Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Transportation, and the New Mexico State Police assisted LCPD with the search. A male subject matching the description was seen in the area of Espina Street and Colorado Avenue running from police.
The male subject then entered the drainage pipes in the area. The LCPD S.W.A.T. team was activated and attempted to talk the subject out of the drainage system for about 2 hours. LCPD used a bullhorn, Public Address systems, and voice commands into the drainage pipes to get the subject out safely. Chemical agents were thrown into the drainage system in a further attempt to get the subject to come out without incident.
The subject emerged from the east end of the park drainage ditch brandishing a firearm and shots were fired. At least one LCPD officer fired a round as well as the suspect. The officer(s) names are being withheld until the investigation is completed. The officer involved task force (NM State Police, Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office, and NM State University Police Department, and LCPD) is investigating the incident.
Information from Las Cruces Police