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On April 15, 2021, at approximately 11:30 p.m., Roswell Police Department officers assisted the Chaves County Sheriff's Office during a pursuit involving a white Ford pickup truck that had fled from a deputy during an attempted traffic stop. Roswell officers deployed two sets of tire deflation devices and missed.
The vehicle then entered the parking lot of a bank at 1901 N Main St in Roswell, New Mexico. The driver, identified as 22-year-old Victor Ivan Barron, exited the truck holding a firearm and attempted to run away on foot. Officers Danny Flott and Abrem Atencio, both with the Roswell Police Department, along with Chaves County Sheriff’s Deputy Samuel Lueras, each discharged their firearms, striking and killing Barron.

https://www.dps.nm.gov/blog/2021/04/17/shooting-involving-roswell-police-department-and-chaves-county-sheriffs-office/
• https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/roswell-officer-involved-shooting-suspect-had-long-criminal-history/
• https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/suspect-in-roswell-officer-involved-shooting-dies-from-injuries/

On 04/08/2021, police confronted Jock Waylon Thacker near U.S. Highway 84 in Fort Sumner. During the encounter officers opened fire and killed him. Public obituary information confirms his death occurred that day in Fort Sumner. Reporting on the confrontation remains limited in detail.

https://www.facebook.com/100026331826312/posts/jock-waylon-thackerfuneral-services-for-jock-waylon-thacker-will-be-held-at-230-/3821344681313695

On April 5, 2021, Danny White, 43, died while being arrested by officers from the Albuquerque Police Department in Northwest Albuquerque, New Mexico. Officers responded to a call at a residence in the 3100 block of Ronda De Lechusas NW. According to police, White suffered a medical episode during the arrest.

• https://www.kob.com/archive/family-of-man-killed-while-in-police-custody-sues-apd/
• https://www.kob.com/archive/policy-violations-found-in-albuquerque-mans-restraint-death/

On March 21, 2021, at approximately 7:19 p.m., deputies from the Chaves County Sheriff's Office went to a property on 6400 Shadow Road in Dexter, New Mexico, to serve Sergio Gutierrez Chairez, 31, with two outstanding arrest warrants. Upon arrival, deputies observed Chairez outside the residence but were unable to enter due to a locked gate and fencing.
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After obtaining a search warrant, deputies entered the property, at which point Chairez locked himself inside a semi-truck parked on the premises. Negotiations to convince Chairez to surrender were unsuccessful. Deputies eventually breached the semi-truck, and a deputy discharged their firearm, fatally striking Chairez.

https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/suspect-dead-following-shooting-involving-chaves-county-sheriffs-office/
https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/nmsp-man-raised-rifle-toward-chaves-county-deputies/
https://www.dps.nm.gov/blog/2021/04/26/update-police-shooting-involving-chaves-county-sheriffs-office/

On 02/20/2021, Albuquerque police responded to reports of a man walking in active traffic lanes near Copper Avenue NE and San Mateo Boulevard NE in a high-traffic corridor. Officers located 40-year-old Claude Trivino in the roadway and initiated a street-level contact rather than disengaging and redirecting traffic. Police followed him at close range and issued verbal commands while he remained in the travel lanes. Officers stated Trivino had a knife during the encounter. Officer Christian Cordova deployed a taser which failed to incapacitate him. Police then escalated force as the interaction compressed into close distance in the roadway environment. According to APD’s official briefing and prosecutorial review, Trivino moved toward officers and threw the knife, striking Officer Jerrod Potter in the arm. Officers Cordova and Potter immediately opened fire, striking Trivino multiple times. Autopsy review documented eight gunshot wound tracks as the cause of death.
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Background context documented in prosecutorial materials shows Trivino had a prior warrant related to an order of protection and had earlier law enforcement contact tied to mental health concerns months before the incident, including an attempted transport for evaluation. Toxicology later showed the presence of multiple substances including stimulants, which authorities noted in their review but which does not independently explain the escalation sequence.
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The tactical environment is notable: police engaged a behavioral crisis scenario in an open roadway with civilian traffic exposure, used a taser as an intermediate force option, and transitioned to lethal force after the knife was thrown and an officer was struck. The encounter lasted a short duration once physical proximity was established. Lapel video was later released by the department as part of the internal and prosecutorial review process.
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Public reaction did occur. Civil rights advocates and community groups questioned the rapid escalation and called for transparency in the investigation. The case became part of broader scrutiny of Albuquerque Police Department use-of-force patterns during behavioral crisis calls during that period.
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There is no confirmed reporting of a civil settlement tied specifically to this incident located in verified sources. No publicly released evidence indicates the presence of a firearm. The call originated as a public safety/traffic hazard service response rather than a violent crime call, and the lethal force decision occurred after the close-range knife incident described in official records.

https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/police-release-name-of-suspect-from-saturdays-officer-involved-shooting/
https://www.kob.com/archive/apd-releases-lapel-video-of-officer-involved-shooting-that-left-one-man-dead/
https://apnews.com/article/general-news-b110ea1cfc1509cc2f3ecb51e8864d9d
https://www.cabq.gov/police/documents/apd-ois-media-briefing-616-san-mateo-ne.pdf
https://da2nd.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/C-Trevino-Statement-of-Facts.pdf

On February 14, 2021, a Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety officer responded to a domestic violence call at Taos Pueblo in Taos, New Mexico. During a confrontation at the scene, the officer opened fire, killing the man. Details regarding the circumstances leading to the shooting have not been released by police.

https://www.taosnews.com/news/man-killed-by-taos-pueblo-police-officer/article_c3e1b620-6fef-11eb-9ffc-7bb851617d55.html
https://www.taosnews.com/news/local-news/pueblo-shooting-still-under-investigation/article_d94f7370-679a-5d29-aab4-61ea65ad97b9.html

On February 4, 2021, Omar Felix Cueva, 39, was stopped by New Mexico State Police Officer Darian Jarrott on Interstate 10 near Avenida de Mesilla in Las Cruces, New Mexico, as part of an investigation with Homeland Security Investigations. During the traffic stop, Cueva fatally shot Officer Jarrott.
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Cueva fled and continued driving eastbound on I-10. Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies, including the Las Cruces Police Department, New Mexico State Police, Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office, and U.S. Border Patrol, pursued him.
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Officers deployed tire deflation devices, which disabled Cueva's white Chevrolet pickup truck. A Las Cruces Police Department officer rammed Cueva's vehicle, bringing it to a stop.
Cueva exited his vehicle and exchanged gunfire with the officers. Law enforcement from several agencies discharged their firearms, fatally striking Cueva.

https://www.dps.nm.gov/blog/2021/04/09/update-new-mexico-state-police-officer-killed-during-traffic-stop-on-interstate-10-in-luna-county/
• https://www.dps.nm.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3.11.24_Final-DARIAN_JARROTT_INCIDENT_REVIEW_COMMITTEE_REPORT_REV_R.pdf
• https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/video-shows-moment-new-mexico-officer-killed-during-traffic-stop-when-asked-for-rifle

On February 3, 2021, the Deming Police Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security were involved in an operation in Deming, New Mexico, near 1st Street and 8th Street. During the investigation, an individual was shot and killed by law enforcement officers. His family stated that he was mentally ill and known to carry toy guns and while he had a gun, he did not raise it at police.

https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/suspect-dead-following-officer-involved-shooting-in-deming/

On February 1, 2021, around noon, Albuquerque Police Department officers responded to reports of a shooting at an apartment complex. Officers pursued a man from the incident in a high-speed chase through the city. The pursuit ended near Virginia Street NE and Lomas Boulevard NE in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The individual reportedly shot and killed himself at the conclusion of the chase.

https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/one-injured-in-ne-albuquerque-apartment-shooting/
https://www.krqe.com/news/man-leads-albuquerque-police-on-chase-before-killing-self/
https://www.krqe.com/video/driver-leads-police-on-chase-commits-suicide/4414502/

On January 31, 2021, deputies from the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a fight involving gunfire in the 1000 block of Atrisco Road SW in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Deputies, who were in the vicinity at the time, encountered a man, later identified as 41-year-old Ezekial Meza, while en route to the scene. Meza reportedly attempted to flee, leading to a confrontation during which deputies opened fire and killed him.

• https://www.krqe.com/news/crime/bernalillo-county-deputy-involved-shooting-on-atrisco-road/
• https://www.abqjournal.com/news/bernalillo-county-sheriffs-office-shooting-involving-fight-call.html
• https://www.koat.com/article/man-fatally-shot-by-bernalillo-county-deputies-during-response-to-fight/36452018