Jeremy Story, Interim Chief of the Las Cruces Police Department, spoke at a news conference Oct. 17, 2023, to provide an update on the officer-involved shooting that occurred two weeks earlier on Burley Court.

  

The incident occurred about 4:45 a.m. Oct. 3 on the 1300 block of Burley Court. An officer from the Las Cruces Police Department made contact with 45-year-old Teresa Gomez and a passenger in her vehicle.

  

About nine minutes after making contact with the pair, the officer discharged at least one round that struck Gomez.

  

Gomez was transported to an area hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. The passenger in her vehicle, 38-year-old Jesus Garcia, was not injured.

  

The Oct. 17 news conference, along with a video from the Oct. 3 incident, can be seen on the City of Las Cruces’ YouTube channel.

  

The investigation into the shooting, conducted by the Officer-involved Incident Task Force, is ongoing. The task force includes investigators from New Mexico State Police, the Las Cruces Police Department, Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State University Police.

https://www.lascruces.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=13543

Body cam video shows moment leading up to Las Cruces officer shooting, killing woman

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Las Cruces Police Department held a press conference Tuesday to give more information after a 45-year-old woman died after an officer-involved shooting earlier this month.

KFOX14 obtained the body camera footage that led to the incident.

Police chief Jeremy Story held the press conference showing the 9-minute body cam video.

At about 4:45 a.m. on Oct. 3, a Las Cruces police officer made contact with 45-year-old Teresa Gomez, along with a passenger in her vehicle, near the 1300 block of Burley Court.

In the video, an 8-year veteran officer shot at least three times at Gomez while she was trying to run away.

Before the shooting happened, the officer asked Gomez to step out of the car so he could ask her questions which at first she denied before complying.

Gomez told the officer she was at a public housing after hours visiting a friend named Butterfly. The officer then went on to explain that she was trespassing.

The officer also noted the passenger in the car was also a frequent trespasser in the area.

As the video goes on, Gomez asks if she can sit back down in the car.

The officer who was writing down the information said yes but instead Gomez started the car and tried to drive away.

The officer shot three rounds.

Gomez was taken to an area hospital where she died.

“That's a complicated question because there are many things or factors that would go into that. There are certainly circumstances where an officer could shoot at someone who was fleeing and it would be entirely justified and reasonable but I don't want to draw conclusions on this case specifically," said Story when asked if it's protocol to shoot when someone is evading.

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Jesus Garcia, 38, the passenger in Gomez’s vehicle, was not injured. He was subsequently arrested on misdemeanor and felony warrants.

Gomez's lawyer and family provided the following statement:

The family alleges the officer was acting rude and belittling Gomez.

They also claim Gomez sped away very slowly.

Las Cruces police and the Officer-involved Incident Task Force are investigating the incident.

The task force includes investigators from the New Mexico State Police, the Las Cruces Police Department, Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State University Police.

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