Sheriff’s Deputy Shoots, Kills Mesquite Teenager

A deputy with the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office shot and killed a teenager in Mesquite, New Mexico, according to officials with the sheriff’s office.

Officials identified the teenager as 17-year-old Nick Dominguez, a student at Gadsden High School. The shooting happened late Monday night after it was reported that a group of teenagers stole two 20 packs from the Mesquite Mercantile Store off Highway 478.

A deputy was able to locate the teenagers in a wooded area nearby. According to sheriff’s officials, Dominguez attacked the deputy and tried to grab his gun. The deputy then tazed Dominguez, who managed to get away.

Officials said Dominguez then entered the deputy’s patrol unit and placed the car into gear. That’s when the deputy, who feared for his safety and that of others at the site of the incident, fired several shots at his own patrol unit.

Dominguez was struck by the bullets and was later pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators said they found evidence that the four teenagers involved in the incident were drinking at the scene. They also found a bag containing a white powdery substance.

Sgt. Joe Reynaud, an investigator with the sheriff’s office, said deputies are trained to deal with these types of incidents. “It starts out being a low-level crime. However, anything can cause it to escalate,” he said. “We’re responsible for each and every bullet that is fired from our weapon. And if we can’t make a reasonable shot to stop the action against us, then it’s not a responsible shot.”

Residents of the area, who did not want to be identified, said the incident has left them wondering what’s next for their community. “It’s really bad because we hadn’t had those kind of problems before,” said a resident. “I could see it coming because there is a lot of people that hang out over there, a lot of people drinking, a lot of drugs, it seems to be bad,” said another resident.

The sheriff deputy, a two-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, has been placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated. Officials with the sheriff’s office did not release the name of the deputy or the names the other teenagers involved in the incident.

The incident is still under investigation.