A Las Cruces police officer wrestled a loaded handgun out of the hands of a patient who was undergoing treatment at a local clinic Tuesday afternoon.
Mathew Rodger Smith, 56, of Hatch, N.M., is charged with two counts of aggravated assault upon a health care worker and one count of aggravated assault upon a peace officer. All charges are third-degree felony counts.
Shortly before 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, Las Cruces police were dispatched to the report of a patient with behavioral issues at Fresenius Kidney Care, 3875 Foothills Dr. Police learned that staff at the clinic were having trouble with Smith who was a patient of theirs. Staff indicated Smith was displaying sudden outbursts and directing profane language toward the staff.
As the first-arriving officer entered the room where Smith was being treated, Smith reached into his jacket with his right hand, pulled out a revolver and pointed it at one of the nurses who was holding his left arm. The officer reacted quickly by grabbing Smith’s hands and knocking the revolver to the floor. The officer forced Smith to the floor and a nurse kicked the gun out of reach as the suspect was taken into custody.
No physical injuries were reported. The nurse and another health care provider both indicated they were in fear of being shot by Smith. Police determined Smith’s gun was a fully-loaded .357 revolver.
Smith was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center where he’s initially being held without bond.
Information from Las Cruces Police