Police shoot, injure man following pursuit near Romeroville
A Santa Fe man was airlifted to a hospital in Albuquerque after being shot by a New Mexico State Police officer following a police chase near Romeroville.
NMSP officers attempted to stop a black Lexus — driven by 43-year-old Paul E. Mares with two women as passengers — around 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 26 near Romeroville, just south of Las Vegas. Mares refused to stop, and instead fled north on Interstate 25, according to an arrest affidavit filed in San Miguel Magistrate Court.
In an attempt to stop the vehicle, officers initiated a PIT maneuver about a mile north of exit 339. The maneuver disabled the vehicle, but as officers approached the vehicle, Mares shifted into reverse and struck a patrol car, according to police.
A NMSP officer fired “at least one shot,” according to Officer Ray Wilson, a spokesman for NMSP. Mares was struck by a bullet and was transported by ambulance to Alta Vista Regional Hospital in Las Vegas. He was later airlifted to a trauma hospital in Albuquerque to be treated for a gunshot wound.
The two women passengers were not injured. They told police they’d pleaded with Mares to slow down so they could get out of the vehicle, but Mares refused, according to the affidavit. Both women were released after being questioned by police.
Mares was wanted on two outstanding arrest warrants, one for failing to pay court fines in a DWI case, and one for failing to appear for a hearing where he’s charged with evading an officer, according to court records. Both warrants were issued from the San Miguel Magistrate Court.
Mares was charged Monday with aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon, aggravated fleeing of law enforcement, criminal damage to property, and two counts of false imprisonment, all felonies. He was also charged with driving with a revoked license and failing to stop or yield, both misdemeanors.
Police have not released the name of the officer who shot Mares. Evidence in the case will be turned over to prosecutors with the Fourth Judicial District Attorney’s office, and any determination on whether the officer’s actions were justified will come from the DA’s office, Wilson said.
Mares has a lengthy criminal history in New Mexico, including charges of auto theft and drug possession. In 2014, Mares was convicted of battery upon a peace officer.
Mares remained in an Albuquerque hospital as of this writing.
