After a foot chase with a suspect, a police officer in Alamogordo was shot in the face with a sawed-off shotgun, and he later died from his injuries, authorities said Monday.
According to authorities, Officer Anthony Ferguson, 41, was shot early Saturday morning and taken to a trauma hospital, where he was in serious condition. Ferguson had been with the Alamogordo Department for 11 years.
Dominic De La O, 26, of Alamogordo, was arrested and charged with aggravated violence and attempted first-degree murder with a lethal weapon. He is currently a prisoner at the Otero County lockup.
Since Ferguson has passed away, the charges against De La O will probably increase.
Police said they tried to pull over De La O’s car on Saturday night because it lacked headlights and taillights. Before the shooting, investigators say, De La O raced from the scene, slammed into a light pole, and then escaped on foot.
Police said that De La O was detained after receiving medical care for a leg wound.
The mayor of Alamogordo, Susan Payne, has urged the city’s 31,000 people to lobby New Mexico’s legislators and the governor to reconsider the state’s bail reform policies.
According to District Attorney Scot Key, the defendant will not be released from jail since he was detained on a no-bail warrant in another outstanding felony narcotics case.
The state’s case will be presented before the grand jury in Otero County as soon as next week.
According to court documents, De La O was detained in January on suspicion of brandishing a weapon during a scuffle with police.
On Wednesday, a warrant was issued for De La O’s arrest because he was allegedly violating the terms of his parole by attending a party where a shooting took place.
Public defender Raymond Conley will be representing De La O in court.
On Monday, Republican senators from New Mexico agreed that the state’s criminal justice system might be improved.
On Monday night, the people of Alamogordo planned to line the streets for a parade in which the officer’s body would be returned home. The rally was intended to halt in front of the police department’s headquarters as a tribute to Ferguson.
