Armed Thief Killed By Las Cruces Police After Stealing 86-Year Old Mans Truck

Las Cruces, NM – Las Cruces Police shoot a man with a knife who was involved in a robbery and truck theft.

Sunday afternoon, 36-year old Juan Torres was shot and killed by police after stealing a truck from an 86-year old man. The incident happened at the same time the funeral for officer Chavez of the Hatch Police Department, who was gunned down in the line of duty, was taking place just a few miles away.

Police spotted Torres fleeing the scene in the stolen truck and pursued him until heavy traffic stopped the chase. Police later found the truck abandoned and spotted Torres attempting to get into other occupied vehicles on the road. A witness told the Las Cruces Sun-News that Torres “Knocked on the window and tried to open my son’s door”. In the image below, you can clearly see Torres holding a large knife.

Police stated that after confronting Torres, he rushed an officer with the large knife before being shot.

The video below was uploaded to Facebook by a witness across the street from where the incident took place. It shows Torres being shot by police; at least 6 shots can be heard.

An ambulance arrived a few minutes after the shooting, but Torres succumbed to his injuries. The officer has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation. We will be posting body cam footage as it is released.

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