Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office investigating officer-involved shooting; suspect killed

Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an officer-involved shooting at a hotel in Las Cruces while deputies were trying to serve a warrant.

The sheriff’s office says the man sought in the warrant was shot and killed by a deputy and the deputy involved was not injured.

The incident happened at about 1 p.m. at the Days End Motel in the 700 block of North Valley Drive. The wanted man was believed to be inside a first-floor room of the motel.

Deputies with the special response team talked with a woman who answered the door of the motel room, and she said the man deputies sought was not in the room.

Sheriff’s officials say deputies then heard gunshots and the wanted man had attempted to escape out the window of the room.

Additional members of the special response team were positioned outside the motel near the room’s window.

After a brief confrontation with the armed man, he was shot and killed by a deputy.

Deputies and detectives at the scene administered first aid to the man until fire and ambulance personnel arrived, but the man died shortly afterward.

The arrest warrant that had recently been obtained for the man was for charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, and battery against a household member.

All three allegations stemmed from a domestic violence incident that was under investigation by the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office is not releasing the man’s name pending notification of family. The detective who was involved in the shooting will be placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard policy of the department.

A task force made up of members of New Mexico State Police, Las Cruces Police Department, New Mexico State University Police, and the Third Judicial District Attorney’s Office are investigating the officer-involved shooting.

The Doa Ana County Sheriff’s Department is the lead investigative agency in the incident.