A New Mexico state police officer was fatally shot on a highway Thursday and authorities chased the attacker and killed him in a shootout, officials said.
The officer who was killed has been identified as 28-year-old Darian Jarrott, reports KVIA-TV El Paso. Authorities also released the name of the assailant who was killed, 39-year-old Omar Felix Cueva.
Police said one of his officers was shot in Luna County between Las Cruces and Deming during a confrontation along Interstate 10 in southern New Mexico.
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The officer was identified as 28-year-old Darian Jarrott
(New Mexico State Police)
They said several agencies pursued the suspect’s vehicle to the Las Cruces area before there was a gunfire.
The suspect was killed and a police officer in Las Cruces was shot.
According to Las Cruces police spokesman Danny Trujillo, the officer with injuries that were not life-threatening was taken to a hospital in El Paso.
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Police said they had limited information and two separate shooting scenes 30 miles apart to investigate.
The Las Cruces police station closed the highway near the shooting scene and told drivers to use a different route until the investigation is completed.
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The government of New Mexico, Michelle Lujan Grisham, from Friday to Tuesday lowered all flags at state buildings to half staff to honor the state police officer killed in the service.