A Clovis, New Mexico police officer was shot late Monday night and a manhunt has been launched for the suspected gunman.
Officer Chris Caron was patrolling the area of the 900 block of Wallace Street around 11:37 p.m. when he stopped Anthony Baca for a minor traffic violation, according to a news release.
The officer ran a warrant check on the 34-year-old man and discovered he had an outstanding felony arrest warrant for failure to appear in court.
Caron told Baca he was under arrest and as he attempted to handcuff the man, but he resisted and fled on foot. The officer gave pursuit and informed dispatch he was chasing the suspect on foot.
During the pursuit, Baca attempted to scale a fence when Caron ordered him to stop before he deployed his Taser. Baca was not incapacitated by the Taser and pulled out a gun and shot Caron in his left thigh.
The officer fell to the ground and was able to draw his duty weapon, but Baca had already fled the scene.
After relaying a "shots fired" call, additional officers arrived on the scene and Caron was transported to Plains Regional Medical Center where he was treated and later released.
A perimeter was set in the area of the shooting and a search was launched involving the Clovis Police Department, Curry County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State Police.
Paul Peluso | Editor
Paul Peluso is the Managing Editor of OFFICER Magazine and has been with the Officer Media Group since 2006. He began as an Associate Editor, writing and editing content for Officer.com. Previously, Paul worked as a reporter for several newspapers in the suburbs of Baltimore, MD.
