High-speed chase, daylong police standoff end with suspect’s death in Las Cruces

A daylong police standoff in Las Cruces ended with state police shooting and killing an alleged armed gunman from El Paso.

The man led police on a high-speed car chase on I-10 from Deming as he headed towards Las Cruces. The chase ended on Avenida de Mesilla Friday morning.

Police cordoned off the area and residents were forced to stay in their homes until the situation was resolved. The area will remain closed for two days while police gather evidence.

According to state police officers, 33-year-old William Smith of El Paso led state police on a high-speed chase. Smith was driving more than 130 mph on I-10 and at one point, he drove on the wrong side of the highway, said police.

Friday evening, New Mexico State Police Chief Pete Kassetas addressed reporters.

“The threat started with the inevitable threat to the public and the driving actions that he took and the fact that he was not obeying the lawful commands of the police officers,” said Kassetas.

He said Smith barricaded himself inside the vehicle when the chase ended, resulting in a five-hour standoff with police. Police say smith was armed with two pistols and refused to negotiate with them.

“He wasn’t doing much of anything, just smoking a cigarette. He was upset, he said he wanted to kill himself or was going to have somebody kill him, basically, police to kill him,” said a man who witnessed the standoff but declined to be identified for this story. “

The man said he heard police negotiating with him, asking if he wanted them to call his family.

“Unfortunately, they couldn’t come to a resolution,” the witness told ABC-7.

A state police officer shot and killed Smith.

“The individual had two handguns and the officers were well aware of that, but what led up to the shooting, I’m going to wait to comment on that until the crime scene interviews,” Kassetas said.

There were two passengers in the vehicle at the time, Smith’s father and a woman who has not been identified. Police said they cooperated with investigators, were questioned and later released.

New Mexico State Police have not identified the officer who shot Smith, but he is on paid administrative leave for three days while the investigation continues.