Fort Sumner police release shooting details

FORT SUMNER — Andy Lucero stopped running, turned around, started firing at law officers and said, “Let’s do this” before they shot him dead March 11 in a field west of Fort Sumner, according to a news release issued Thursday from New Mexico State Police.

Three NMSP officers out of Clovis were involved in the pursuit and shootout that started when Lucero, 48, was reported for violating a restraining order at his ex-girlfriend’s residence in Fort Sumner. In the ensuing altercation Lucero fled the location and shot one of the woman’s friends, who was later hospitalized in Lubbock for non-life threatening injuries, said the release.

In their initial search, officers found “what was believed to have been Lucero’s vehicle on fire” in Fort Sumner before tracking him to a field 20 miles west of town near U.S. 60.

“Lucero pointed a silver and black Tech 9 handgun with an extended magazine at the officers and continued to flee from them,” said the release. “Lucero lead (sic) officers on a foot pursuit, jumping numerous barbed wire fences and continuing to ignore officers’ commands.”

He acknowledged their communications from loudspeaker “but continued walking away from them,” before he “turned toward the officers and began to shoot at them with the Tech 9 handgun.”

The three officers — identified as Sgt. Hector Vacio, Agent Andrew Martinez and Patrolman Mark Quintana — returned with a total of four shots from their rifles, striking Lucero three times. He died at the scene; officers found him armed with 28 rounds in the Tech 9 and three spent casings beside him.

One officer, not identified in the release, “sustained a minor injury to his hand during the foot pursuit.”