By Associated Press - Friday, September 6, 2019

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - Law enforcement officers involved in the fatal shooting of a suspect outside a Las Cruces Home Depot will not be charged.

The Third Judicial District Attorney’s Office said in a statement Friday that the June shooting of Francisco Tarin was justified.

Prosecutors say Tarin shot at a Las Cruces patrol officer and a round went through the officer’s windshield and hit him in the neck.



Las Cruces police and officers from other agencies responded and found Tarin near a Home Depot store.

Authorities say they used less lethal devices to try and subdue Tarin and demanded he put down his firearm.

They ended up exchanging gun fire with Tarin.

A review done by police and a multi-agency task force says officers faced reasonable fear for their lives.

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