Santa Fe police identify officers in recent fatal shooting
Mar. 28—Santa Fe police have released the names of three officers who fired their weapons during a bizarre chase earlier this month that left one suspect dead, injured another and wounded an officer.
One of the officers who fired his gun also was struck by gunfire during the incident, police said, though it isn't clear who fired the shot or shots that hit him.
According to a news release from the Santa Fe Police Department, the officers who fired their guns in the March 10 incident were Detective Manuel Romero, Officer Luis Ruiz and Officer Charles Ovalle.
Ovalle was hit by gunfire and bitten by a police service dog during the incident and remains on leave due to his injuries, Deputy Chief Ben Valdez confirmed Thursday. He has been released from the hospital, Valdez wrote in an email.
Santa Fe and state police for weeks have declined to answer who was responsible for the gunfire that hit Ovalle. Valdez wrote an ongoing investigation by state police "will provide the needed facts on what occurred."
The police shooting ended in the subsequent death of Rick Robert Chavez, 35, wounded George Theragood, 42, who was charged in the incident.
During an arrest warrant operation, city and state police chased Chavez from several streets to the site of the shooting on Vereda de Encanto, according to Santa Fe police statements following the shooting. Theragood was sitting in his vehicle in front of his residence and Chavez was entering the vehicle when they were shot by officers, police said.
Although state police officers took part in the operation, no state officers fired their weapons in the incident, New Mexico State Police spokesman Wilson Silver has said.
The city police department has alleged in statements Chavez was "armed with a handgun" during the shooting, but it isn't clear whether he was holding the weapon or fired it. The department prepared 14 criminal charges against Chavez from the incident prior to his March 12 death in the hospital that included three counts of aggravated assault against police, felon in possession of a firearm and negligent use of a deadly weapon.
Police alleged Theragood was a "co-conspirator" with Chavez, but there has been no indication he was armed during the shooting. Theragood was charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated fleeing from police, harboring a felon and disarming an officer. Police said Theragood took an officer's rubber bullet launcher while he was being detained in the incident.
Theragood's criminal case from the incident is pending.
Prosecutors requested Theragood remain in jail pending a trial on the charges, but a judge ordered him to be released following a pretrial detention hearing Monday.
Theragood was in the process of being released from Santa Fe County jail Thursday, his attorney Michael Jones said during an interview.
Jones said Theragood was not armed during the incident, adding his understanding was that Chavez did not fire his weapon.
A video of the incident was shown during the Monday hearing that "helped to illuminate things," Jones said. The video was provided by Theragood, and Jones declined to immediately share the video.
The video did not offer an answer to how a Santa Fe police officer was hit with gunfire during the incident, Jones said.
