Law enforcement officers in the Albuquerque area captured a suspect in the shooting death of a New Mexico state police officer on Sunday, following a tip from a gas station clerk, authorities confirmed.
Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office apprehended 33-year-old Jaremy Smith of Marion, South Carolina, in the southwestern outskirts of Albuquerque after the clerk alerted authorities of an individual matching Smith’s description, Sheriff John Allen stated at a brief news briefing.
South Carolina authorities had identified Smith as a person of interest in the homicide of a local paramedic, whose stolen car was linked to Friday’s fatal shooting of New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare along Interstate 40 west of Tucumcari.
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Allen reported that Smith was spotted walking in a residential area outskirts and was wounded by gunfire during a foot pursuit by officers. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment under police supervision, with no further details on his medical condition provided.
“A foot pursuit ensued,” Allen remarked. “Shots were fired. Some shots struck Smith, we don’t know the amount right now or how many, that’s still under investigation. But Smith was then taken into custody without further incident.”
State Police Chief Troy Weisler indicated that the investigation into Smith’s movements post-Hare's shooting is in its early stages, with Sunday's detention providing an opportunity for people to commence grieving for the slain officer. Weisler and Allen refrained from discussing potential criminal charges and declined to offer additional information.
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“Everything is really preliminary right now on the investigation, so we’re not going to get into any of the details,” Weisler mentioned.
Authorities recounted that Hare had been dispatched around 5 a.m. Friday to assist a motorist in a white BMW with a flat tire on I-40.
Hare parked behind the BMW, and an individual exited the vehicle, approached the patrol car's passenger side, and shot the officer without warning. Subsequently, the motorist moved to the driver’s side of the police vehicle, shot Hare again, and pushed him into the back seat before fleeing in the patrol vehicle.
It later emerged that the white BMW had been reported missing in South Carolina and belonged to Phonesia Machado-Fore, 52, a Marion County paramedic, who was discovered deceased outside Lake View in neighboring Dillon County. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office stated that Machado-Fore had been reported missing on Thursday evening.
Marion County Sheriff Brian Wallace expressed relief at Smith's detention, acknowledging it as a significant step toward justice for Hare's family.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham extended gratitude to the individual who alerted authorities, deeming Smith's capture a “major step toward justice” for Hare's family in a news release.
