A man was in a Las Cruces hospital Thursday night after a police officer responding to a call that someone was armed with a gun shot him.
The Las Cruces Police Department and the Officer-Involved Incident Task Force were investigating the shooting, which was reported shortly before 7 p.m. in the downtown.
The incident began when police received a report about a man with a gun on the 500 block of South Main Street. The first officer to arrive on scene found the suspect, who led police on a short foot chase, according to an announcement from the police department.
An officer fired at least one round during the pursuit and struck the man. That person went to the ground on the 800 block of South Main Street, and police said they found a firearm near where the man fell, according to the statement.
Officers detained the man, and medical personnel took him to a local hospital. The extent of his injuries is unknown.
Police said the officer, who was not injured during the incident, will be placed on administrative leave while the task force carries out its investigation, the statement from police read.
The task force includes detectives from New Mexico State Police, the Las Cruces Police Department, the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State University Police.
