CARLSBAD — The New Mexico State Police (NMSP) are investigating an officer-involved shooting incident involving the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO).
Just before 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, the ECSO responded to a report of domestic violence at 4019 Jones St. in Carlsbad. The reporting party told dispatch her boyfriend, 48-year-old Gabriel Mesa of Carlsbad, was intoxicated and the two had become engaged in a verbal altercation.
The victim told deputies Mesa had taken her cell phone along with a handgun from inside the residence before pushing her out of the way and leaving the home.
Upon deputies’ arrival at the scene, they were unable to locate Mesa but received a tip that led them to him in an open field near 3908 W. Texas St. in Carlsbad. During the ensuing encounter, two ECSO deputies gave Mesa numerous verbal commands to surrender peacefully, which were ignored.
According to the NMSP, Mesa brandished a firearm and pointed it at the deputies, at which time they discharged their department-issued firearms toward him, striking him at least once. The deputies then rendered aid to Mesa until EMS arrived; however, he later succumbed to his injuries.
No deputies were injured during the incident, and those involved have not been named. The NMSP Investigations Bureau is working to independently determine the series of events that led to the shooting, including evidence collection and conducting of interviews.
