LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - A Las Cruces man suspected of seriously injuring a city police officer with his vehicle during a February incident at a fast-food restaurant died Friday after a shootout with law enforcement officers in Juarez, Mexico, authorities said.
Mark James Esquibel, 40, was hit during an exchange of gunfire Thursday and died Friday, Las Cruces Police spokesman Danny Trujillo said in a statement. He said there are reports from Mexico that one officer there was killed in the shootout with Esquibel and two others wounded.
Esquibel was suspected of running over a Las Cruces officer on Feb. 15 after police were called to a fast-food restaurant where he was parked. The officers tried to arrest Esquibel but he refused to get out of his vehicle and an officer tried to subdue him using a Taser.
That’s when Esquibel put his vehicle into drive and accelerated out of the parking stall, hit the officer, and drove away. At least one shot was fired and police later got an arrest warrant charging Esquibel with aggravated assault on a police officer, evading arrest and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The unidentified Las Cruces officer suffered serious injuries is still recovering. Trujillo said it isn’t known when Esquivel entered Mexico.
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