Justin Hare, left, and Phonesia Macahdo-Fore.Photo:New Mexico State Police (2)
New Mexico State Police (2)
A man accused of killing a New Mexico State Police Officer while driving a car belonging to a slain South Carolina paramedic was arrested Sunday following a shootout with law enforcement.
State police officer Justin Hare was called to assist a motorist with a flat tire early Friday morning, State Police Chief Troy Weisler said at a press conference Saturday. The motorist, Jaremy Alexander Smith, a South Carolina resident, allegedly shot Hare before fleeing the scene, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office says.
Jaremy Smith.New Mexico State Police
New Mexico State Police
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says Smith is considered a person of interest in Machado-Fore’s death, but has not been charged in connection and will remain in New Mexico on a murder warrant.
It is not immediately clear if Smith has been formally charged in Hare’s death, but prior to his arrest, New Mexico State Police said it had issued a warrant for his arrest on a number of charges, including first-degree murder and armed robbery.
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“Officer Hare died serving his state and his community,” Weisler said Saturday. “On a cold, dark and windy morning, he offered help to a person he thought was in need. That person killed him in cold blood.”
“Mrs. Fore was one of us, a fellow first responder,” Marion County Sheriff Brian Wallace says in a statement. “Her death is senseless. Our community has suffered a tremendous loss. My team and I will not stop until we bring the person or persons responsible for her death to justice."
source: people.com
