The Artesia Police Department’s investigations into two recent violent incidents are progressing according to procedure, the APD told the Daily Press Tuesday afternoon.
Both incidents occurred earlier this month.
The first, a stabbing, was reportedly the result of an altercation at a party in the 600 block of South 10th Street late Friday, Aug. 12, that left the victim in critical but stable condition after being airlifted to Lubbock, Texas.
The second incident occurred Wednesday, Aug. 17. An approximately 40-year-old male victim was shot in the hand and leg and also airlifted to Lubbock with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect fled the scene to a residence on Washington Avenue between 11th and 12th streets and engaged in a brief standoff with the APD before exiting the home and surrendering.
“Many things go into the investigation of a crime after aid is rendered during the initial response,” APD Cmdr. Lindell Smith said Tuesday.
Smith stated those include:
• the gathering of statements from witnesses after they have been identified and separated.
• the gathering and keeping of physical evidence in such a way that it will be reliable for court purposes.
• the analysis of such evidence.
• the analysis and documentation of the condition of the crime scene.
• the comparison of the witness statements to the physical evidence and condition of the scene.
• the cooperation and willingness of the victim to make himself available so his statement can be taken.
• comparison of the victim’s statement to the physical evidence.
• contact with the suspect concerning his side of what happened.
• the communication and agreement levels that are reached with the district attorney and their willingness to prosecute the crime and bring the offender to justice.
Smith says each of those procedures are coming into play in the investigation of the two incidents and that the public is in no danger.
“We understand people’s interest in these cases, but they must be handled within the framework of the Constitution, recognized police investigative procedure, and the state statutes governing such items, or we risk them being complete wastes of time and resources in the end,” said Smith. “No one wants that, especially a victim or his family, or a hardworking police officer who is sworn on an oath to not break these rules, or a taxpaying citizen, for that matter.
“It is ill advised for us to release names of suspects prior to them becoming defendants. However, as they are connected to these cases, danger to the public at large is not existent.”
