A New Mexico State Police internal investigation into the shooting death of a police officer who unknowingly stopped an armed drug suspect who was being pursued by federal agents as part of a sting operation in February 2021 highlights flawed tactics and poor communication. This was one of the most important survey results.
A report released Wednesday provides excruciating details about Officer Darian Jarrott’s death, extracted in part from dashboard and body-worn camera footage. He was shot and killed during a traffic stop on Interstate 10.
The report also describes the killing of suspected drug trafficker Omar Cueva-Felix in Las Cruces after a 40-mile vehicle pursuit and gunfight with authorities.
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The report states that two Homeland Security Investigations agents and a state police supervisor said supervisors had information about Cueva-Felix’s criminal history and HSI’s plan to arrest him along the interstate. It concludes that the defendants provided conflicting accounts of whether they received “full disclosure.”
“Omar Cueva-Felix murdered Officer Jarrott in cold blood. Unfortunately, nothing can change this,” New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weissler said in a statement accompanying the release of the report.
He said the review resulted in changes to several internal departmental policies and discussion of possible alternative actions and tactics in specific situations.
“Highlighting the mistakes made by the various individuals involved in the incident and pointing out areas for improvement is done solely for the purpose of learning and finding ways to operate more safely,” Weissler said.
New Mexico State Trooper Darian Jarrott, pictured on the right, is shot and killed by Omar Cueva-Felix after a vehicle pursuit and is seen on video. (Austin Contreras, via Storyful/New Mexico State Police)
Jarrott, 28, became the first New Mexico State Police officer killed in the line of duty in more than 30 years. The father of four became a state trooper in 2015 after working as a state transportation inspector.
The incident sparked multiple lawsuits alleging that both HSI and Jarrott’s superiors were negligent and failed to forewarn officers about the dangers of Cueva Felix. A federal judge in Albuquerque dismissed one of the lawsuits last July, ruling that the government was immune from liability.
A state police supervisor had asked Jarrott to restrain Cueva-Felix on orders from federal agents. The request came after the suspect sold large quantities of drugs to undercover officers, displayed a large rifle and told them he would not return to prison.
Cueva Felix, 40, of Deming, whom authorities say had an extensive criminal history in California and was known to possess firearms.
The fatal crash occurred on the afternoon of February 4, 2021, on Interstate 10, about 25 miles east of Deming. Within minutes, Jarrott was ambushed and shot multiple times. Cueva-Felix then led authorities on a pursuit that ended in a gunfight in Las Cruces, in which a city police officer was also injured and killed.
El Paso Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric McLaughlin said in a statement provided to the Albuquerque Journal that the agency is reviewing the report and the committee’s recommendations for joint enforcement actions. He also reiterated the department’s condolences on Mr. Jarrott’s death.
McLaughlin said the New Mexico State Police is one of the many law enforcement agencies the department works with, and that special agents can be incorporated into task forces with other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. He said there are many.
The investigation found that state police officials were not present at the official briefing, and Jarrott was not included in text messages with federal officials about the plan. It also said there was no chain of command in place for the incident, despite two agencies and different HSI units operating in cities 60 miles (96 kilometers) apart.
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The investigation also found that Jarrott did not see any “signs of danger” after stopping Cueva-Felix and should have “changed his tactics” when he discovered a handgun on the suspect’s hip. did.
