Former NMSU student shot by police officer pleads no contest to felony charges

The former New Mexico State University student who was shot by a police officer pleaded no contest to a couple of felony charges on Tuesday, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News.

Karsten Cuthair, 28, pleaded no contest to two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a fourth-degree felony, in Las Cruces.

The charges come from a incident on Nov. 14, 2016 on NMSU’s campus.

At the trial, Deputy District Attorney Daniel Sewell said Cuthair had been in the hallway talking to other students when he took out the gun and started yelling at them.

That’s when police were called to the scene.

NMSU Police Officer Jarrod Colliver showed up to the scene. Cuthair was allegedly making threats while holding the gun and refused to put it down despite Colliver’s commands. The officer fired multiple shots and struck Cuthair in the leg, officials said. District Attorney Mark D’Antonio announced in January that Colliver would not face any charges in the shooting. Cuthair, who was walking with a cane, was taken in custody and ordered to undergo a diagnostic evaluation before sentencing, according to the Sun-News. He could be put away for up to three years, but prosecutors suggest they may cap their recommended sentence to just 18 months, followed by an 18-month probation.