Las Cruces Police Investigate Officer-Involved Shooting
A Las Cruces police officer shot a man accused of “physically assaulting” a woman after he struck the officer with an unknown object in the forehead early Friday, investigators said.
Police were called to the Buena Vida Apartments, or the Good Life Apartments, at 1505 La Fonda Drive after reports of a woman being physically assaulted by a man who had been drinking.
When officers arrived, they approached a pickup in which the suspect was believed to be sitting. That’s when police said 21-year-old Isaac Gutierrez got out of the truck and started running away.
Police said that when Officer Edward Villarreal chased Gutierrez into a dimly-lighted area near the apartment complex, Villarreal was struck with an unknown object and suffered a deep laceration to his forehead. Villarreal then shot Gutierrez in the abdomen, according to police.
When asked if the object could have been rock and if a rock is considered a deadly weapon, LCPD spokesman Dan Trujillo said yes.
“You know, people don’t normally think of it this way, but a rock can be considered a deadly weapon depending on where it’s used (and) depending on where it strikes,” Trujillo said. “So, again, we’re very lucky. We’re very glad that the officer did escape with only 17 stitches.”
Villarreal, a nine-year veteran of the Las Cruces Police Department, was taken to Memorial Medical Center, where he received 17 stitches to his forehead. Gutierrez, who was treated for a superficial grazing wound at Mountain View Regional, has been released from the hospital and is in police custody.
Villarreal, 39, was released from the hospital and will be placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard operating procedure for such an incident.
The incident is being investigated by the Las Cruces Officer-Involved Incident Task Force, which is comprised of representatives from the New Mexico State Police, Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State University Police and the Las Cruces Police Department. The task force is the primary investigatory body that investigates officer-involved shootings in Dona Ana County .
