Las Cruces Police Chief Says Fatal Shooting Was Justified

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — The Las Cruces police chief is defending officers who fatally shot a robbery suspect on Sunday, saying the suspect forced them to use deadly force. Police Chief Jaime Montoya said Monday that 36-year-old Juan Gabriel Torres of Las Cruces was armed with a knife when he was shot Sunday afternoon on a bridge over Interstate 25. Montoya says Torres failed to obey commands to drop the weapon and lunged at officers. He says when Torres lunged officers had no choice but to use deadly force. He says Torres was a "known felon" who was believed to have robbed an 86-year-old man earlier that day. Montoya says the officers involved were carrying Tasers and that video from a body-worn camera will be released at a later date.