Man accused of killing Hatch police officer appears before federal judge

Jesse Hanes, the man accused of shooting and killing Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez, made his first appearance in Federal court Friday morning, nearly a week after the deadly shooting.

The 38-year-old Hanes, wearing a red jumpsuit, was wheeled into court seated in a wheelchair. He spent most of the week at University Medical Center in El Paso after he allegedly shot himself in the thigh moments after the the killing.

No phones or cameras are allowed inside federal court.

Hanes told U.S. District Court Judge Carmen Garza he was on pain medication, but understood the charges read against him.

His federal charges and potential penalties and fines include: Carjacking Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

After the killing of the police officer in Hatch, Hanes allegedly shot a man at a rest stop off I-25 and took off in the victim’s car.

If convicted, the maximum prison sentence for the carjacking charge is 25 years in federal prison, 5 years supervised probation, and a $250,000 fine.

The maximum sentence for the discharging of a firearm charge is 10 years in federal prison; for being a felon in possession of a firearm, it’s 10 years in federal prison, 2 years supervised probation, and a $250,000 fine.

According to Assistant Federal Public Defender, Don Morrison, Hanes will have a court appointed attorney. His next court appearance will be August 24 at 9:30 am.

Hanes will remain in the custody of U.S. Marshal’s Service. Morrison said Hanes was being held at the Dona Ana County Detention Center in a section specific for federal detainees.

Earlier this week, New Mexico state prosecutors charged Hanes with First Degree Murder (Willful and Deliberate) for the killing of the police officer. Hanes is also wanted on Murder charges in Ohio.

It is not known if Hanes will be tried on the federal charges first. There is a possibility he could be extradited to Ohio, where Hanes’ murder charge carries a death sentence punishment. New Mexico abolished the death penalty in 2009.

The federal prosecutor refused to comment on the case.