New Mexico Police Officer Dies After Being Shot During Foot Pursuit

ALAMOGORDO, New Mexico -- An Alamogordo police officer succumbed on Sunday to the wounds he sustained in a shooting the previous day.

Officer Anthony Ferguson who was shot in the early morning hours on July 15 when he was shot while pursuing a suspect on foot that fled a traffic stop, according to a news release.

The 41-year-old officer was an 11-year veteran of Alamogordo Police Department and was serving in the Patrol Division as a Field Training Officer at the time of the incident. Authorities said that at approximately 2:18 a.m., officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle in the area of Puerto Rico Avenue and 9th Street. when the vehicle did not stop and attempted to flee. The officers did not pursue the vehicle. Soon after, officers located the same vehicle involved in a crash in the area of First Street and Delaware Avenue. Officers observed a male subject fleeing the scene on foot and gave chase when shots were fired.

As a result of the gunfire, Ferguson was wounded and was originally transported to Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center before being flown to UMC—El Paso.

The suspect was struck by returned gunfire. He sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken into custody by the New Mexico State Police.

This incident is under investigation by the New Mexico State Police.

Ferguson is survived by his mother, father, four brothers, his daughter, and son.