New Mexico State Police officer's fatal shooting suspect captured after two-day manhunt

A suspect has been captured following a two-day search in connection with the shooting death of a New Mexico State Police officer near the small town of Tucumcari last week.

Jaremy Smith was taken into custody after an altercation with officers from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday, according to New Mexico state police.

Officer Justin Hare, 35, was fatally shot around 5 a.m. local time last Friday while responding to a call about a stranded driver on Interstate 40 near milepost 318, state police had previously reported. He was shot unexpectedly and succumbed to his injuries after being taken to a nearby hospital.

The authorities have identified Smith, a 32-year-old individual from South Carolina, as the prime suspect in the incident.

Smith has a criminal record in South Carolina, with charges including allegations of hostage-taking, burglary, and armed robbery, according to Weisler. He has also spent time in Albuquerque, he added.

The vehicle with the flat tire belonged to a paramedic from Marion County, South Carolina — Phenesia Machado-Fore, 52 — who was discovered murdered on Friday after being reported missing from the area, the chief explained.