A man from South Carolina who was being sought for the killing of a police officer in New Mexico was apprehended on Sunday in Albuquerque.
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office stated that a man who looked like Jaremy Smith was spotted by a gas station attendant, who then called 911. Deputies surrounded him while he was walking on the street, but he fled and deputies chased after him. Shots were fired, and Smith was struck. He was then taken to a hospital for medical care.
Smith was being sought for the murder of Officer Justin Hare on Wednesday, as previously reported by CrimeOnline. Hare had been sent to help a motorist with a flat tire, but the motorist — known to be Smith — instead shot him twice, put him into the back seat of his patrol car, and drove away. The car was later found abandoned, and Hare was discovered on a frontage road near Interstate 40.
The car Smith had been driving was found to belong to Phonesia Machado-Fore, a paramedic in Florence County, South Carolina, who had been reported missing. Machado-Fore’s body was found on Friday in Dillon County, and Smith was considered a person of interest in her murder.
In South Carolina, Marion County Sheriff Brian Wallace expressed that he felt “overwhelmed with relief” that Smith was in custody. No charges have been filed against him in South Carolina, Allen said, so he will remain in custody in New Mexico for the time being. “The successful capture of Jaremy Smith is a testament to the collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies and the vigilant citizens of Bernalillo County,” the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office expressed in a statement. “We are thankful that his rampage has come to an end, and it serves as a solemn reminder of the risks faced by law enforcement every day.”
[Featured image: Phonesia Machado-Fore/Marion County Sheriff’s Office; Jaremy Smith and Justin Hare/New Mexico State Police]
A man from South Carolina who was being sought for the murder of a police officer in New Mexico was detained on Sunday in Albuquerque. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office mentioned that a man resembling Jaremy Smith was spotted by a gas station clerk, who then called 911. Deputies surrounded him while he was walking on the street, but he took off running …