Las Cruces police and a multi-agency officer-involved incident task force are investigating Saturday’s pursuit and shooting that resulted in the death of the man suspected in a Friday evening homicide on Sambrano Avenue.
The shooting took place in the 1400 block Lohman Avenue. At about 5 p.m. on February 17, 2018, LCPD officers were following on up on information learned from Friday’s homicide. A van matching the description of the suspect vehicle was found in the Las Colinas area. The suspect was positively identified prior to a traffic stop being conducted.
The van being driven by Nathaniel Montoya, 23 years old, of Las Cruces, fled the traffic stop and a pursuit was initiated. The high-speed pursuit traveled throughout the city of Las Cruces. LCPD officers attempted to PIT (Precision Intervention Technique) the vehicle but were unsuccessful. The pursuit then entered the 1400 block of Lohman Avenue. The suspect vehicle struck a parked vehicle in the parking lot and the vehicle was pushed into a pedestrian standing next to the vehicle. The 33-year-old pedestrian was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The van stopped in the convenience store parking lot. Several vehicles in the parking lot were damaged as they were struck. At least one LCPD officer fired several rounds that struck the suspect. He was pronounced dead thereafter on scene. The officer’s name will be withheld until the investigation is completed. The officer involved task force includes NM State Police, Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office, and NM State University Police Department and LCPD.
Information from Las Cruces Police