Sheriff opened fire because he feared loader’s driver might hit others

Authorities say an eastern New Mexico sheriff shot a Portales man driving a front-end loader because the man was driving erratically and the sheriff feared he would strike other drivers or bystanders.

The New Mexico State Police says 48-year-old James Wallace McFarlin had used the loader to try to flip over an SUV and crashed through fences before Roosevelt County Sheriff Malin Parker wounded him Jan. 15.

The NMSP says Parker reported that McFarlin almost struck a motorist during a pursuit and that Parker tried unsuccessfully to shoot out the loader’s tires before he shot McFarlin through the loader’s read window.

McFarlin remains hospitalized in Lubbock, Texas. Online court records don’t list an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

No information was released on a possible motive.