Christopher J. Marier

Officer killed in stabbing before suspect is shot and killed by witness, police say

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Christopher Marier
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A New Mexico police officer was fatally stabbed over the weekend while responding to a trespassing report and a witness to the attack apparently shot and killed the suspect before calling on the officer’s radio for help, authorities said Monday.

The fatal stabbing and shooting took place late Sunday in Las Cruces, about 225 miles (360 kilometers) south of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and some 45 miles (75 kilometers) northwest of El Paso, Texas.

Las Cruces police said Patrol Officer Jonah Hernandez, 35, was stabbed at least once Sunday afternoon and died at a hospital where he was taken.

The suspect in the stabbing, a 29-year-old man, was believed to have been shot and killed by the same witness, according to police. They said the witness used the officer’s police radio to call for help afterward.

Full story: Officer killed in stabbing before suspect is shot and killed by witness, police say

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3 responses to “Officer killed in stabbing before suspect is shot and killed by witness, police say”

  1. Rebeca Cruz-Magallon

    During the stabbing of a New Mexico police officer, the suspect was shot and killed by the witness who called in the incident. Conflicting perspectives in this situation come from the witness who took actions into their own hands before reporting the incident. In the moment certain individuals often do not use rational thinking. Witnesses are able to provide firsthand evidence about the altercation, but in this situation, the witness was seen to do more than it had to. The outcome could have been better if the witness called in the incident as their first reaction for more reinforcements that are trained to handle these types of situations in a professional manner. The suspect could have been arrested and served time (justice would have been served).

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    1. Sarah Al-Zaid

      I disagree. We do not have enough information about the events leading up to the stabbing nor do we know what happened after the stabbing and before the witness shot the suspect. Until we know more, I believe that the witness was justified.

      Reply
    2. Alejandro Rodriguez

      Perhaps the suspect identified the witness as a threat and viewed him/her as a potential snitch that could get the suspect thrown into prison so the suspect decided to possibily dispose of the witness and that is why the witness killed the suspect and then called for assistance with the situation. It may very well have been an act of self defense. Or maybe the witness sought revenge for the assault on the officer and there was some struggle leading to the death of the suspect. Without further release of what occured we may never know. There may even be some bias as to what the story truly is because the witness is the only living individual from the crime scene as far as we know because the witness could lie to cover up the fact that it was vengence (which is a crime because it is still murder).

      Reply

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