Otero County high-speed police chase ends in officer involved shooting

ALAMOGORDO – Otero County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a man after the man led deputies on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle through the streets of Alamogordo that ended on U.S. Highway 54/70 south of La Luz Gate Road Tuesday afternoon, Sheriff Benny House said.

House said the New Mexico State Police continue their investigation after shots were fired by OCSO deputies prior to the vehicle ending up on Highway 54/70’s median.

He said no law enforcement personnel nor residents were injured in the incident.

House said Highway 54 South in both directions was blocked off to traffic for several hours between U.S. Highway 82 and Dog Ranch Road due to the NMSP’s investigation.

OCSO deputies located a stolen vehicle in Alamogordo around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday that was reported stolen out of Dog Canyon, House said.

He said deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle that resulted in the vehicle failing to stop then fled south on White Sands Boulevard into residential subdivisions south of town where deputies lost sight of the vehicle.

“We were in the area attempting to find the vehicle when one of our deputies located the vehicle in the Green Country Estates,” House said. “The subject saw the deputy then a second pursuit started again. This time the deputies were pursuing the vehicle north into Alamogordo through the golf course area onto Florida then onto the Canyon Road area.”

He said even though it was after 4 p.m. an OCSO sergeant called off the pursuit because the pursuit was getting close to the soccer fields and school.

“A spike strip was setup in the area but the individual avoided the spike strip,” House said. “He ended up going up to Scenic at a high rate of speed. The pursuit was called off but they were monitoring his direction. He was picked up again at the north end of town in the North Florida area.”

He said deputies started the pursuit of the vehicle again near North Florida then into the La Luz area where they lost track of the vehicle again.

“We were monitoring all the intersections in the area,” House said. “We got a tip where the vehicle was located. Upon our arrival, he took off again through various streets of La Luz back down Alamo Street to 545 toward the highway. At approximately the dollar store, we did initiate a spike strip and shots were fired.”

He said the individual made the curve towards Alamogordo on Highway 54/70 to a couple of yards up then the vehicle came to a rest in the median.

House said the man was transported to Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.

“State police were notified due to an officer involved shooting,” he said. “The scene was turned over to the New Mexico State Police.”

Alamogordo Police Department officers assisted OCSO deputies during the pursuit with placing a spike strip and blocked intersections, APD Capt. Roger Schoolcraft said.

“We assisted to protect the safety of residents,” Schoolcraft said. “We wanted to prevent people from having their lives put in jeopardy. We had people pull off the road as well. There was a school bus on South Florida that we stop and had pull over so they could get by them without putting our children in danger.”

He said APD also had one of the department’s K-9 units available to assist OCSO.

“We had one of our K-9 units go out into the county and a couple of our detectives in case they ended up in a foot pursuit,” Schoolcraft said. “We could deploy our K-9 if they need it but they didn’t end up in a foot pursuit. Some of our detectives assisted in diverting traffic for OCSO. We’re just glad someone this dangerous has been taken off the roadway.”