“Difficult decision:” Four LCPD officers fired shots that killed fugitive, chief says
The Las Cruces Police chief told members of the media that four officer fired shots at a fugitive on September 27th when the suspect refused to step away from his gun.
“I don’t think the officers had a choice in the situation,” Chief Patrick Gallagher said. “He was given twelve commands to comply with their commands. He chose not to for whatever reason.”
The shooting happened on the west side of the Las Cruces High School campus, killing 32-year-old Juan Angel Piñedo, who police say was a fugitive. Police say he at one point ran through the baseball field at Las Cruces High with students all around.
“(Officers) were faced with protecting those dozens of people, some children on the fields of Las Cruces High School,” Gallagher said. “Difficult decision to say the least.”
A total of four officers fired 18 rounds, four of which struck the suspect, Gallagher said.
“We were unable to get everybody into safety by the time this happened,” Gallagher said. “That’s how dynamic this was. This man was running through the streets of Las Cruces armed with a gun for approximately thirty minutes.”
Police say the department was already looking for Piñedo. Chief Gallagher told members of the media that on September 21st, Piñedo pointed a handgun at his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend.
According to the police department, there have been six officer involved shootings this year, including three in September. Four of the shootings this year have been fatal, a spokesman confirmed.
“In four of these incidents, people were armed with a gun or what looked like a gun and failed to comply with the officers’ commands,” Gallagher said. “Had they chose to do otherwise, perhaps those shootings would not have occurred.”
In 2017, there were two shootings, according to the department. In 2016, there were three shootings. in 2015, there was one shooting,
All the shootings in 2018 have either been justified or are still under investigation, according to the department.
