Man arrested after officerinvolved shooting outside Las Cruces apartment complex, police say
Nov 12, 2024
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A 50-year-old man was arrested after an officer-involved shooting Monday night, Nov. 11, outside a Las Cruces apartment complex, according to Las Cruces Police.
Police say they responded at around 10:30 p.m. to the 1300 block of S. Espina St. to reports of a man armed with a gun yelling outside an apartment complex.
Upon arrival, police encountered the suspect, identified as Danny Garcia De Leon, and an officer ended up firing at least one round. De Leon was shot at least once and received medical attention. He has since been released from the hospital and arrested, according to police.
De Leon was booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center and was charged with aggravated assault and aggravated assault on a peace officer with no bond, according to Dona Ana County jail records.
According to court documents obtained by KTSM, De Leon also verbally harassed and threatened a neighbor earlier that day.
The victim was taking his trash out when he had the encounter with De Leon. The victim told police that De Leon was outside with his dog, and De Leon began to verbally harass and threaten the victim, according to court documents.
The victim told police that while he was being threatened, he noticed De Leon had a silver firearm in his waistband and also had a bow and or arrow in his possession, according to court documents.
The victim told police as he began to walk up the stairs to reach his apartment, he could still hear De Leon yelling at him.
The victim then looked at De Leon and saw De Leon point the bow and arrow toward the victim, according to court documents.
After a search warrant was executed, a "long thin stick" was found by the front door of De Leon's apartment, which was consistent with the victim's description of a bow and or arrow, according to court documents. A knife was also found at De Leon's apartment.
The victim told police that there was an "ongoing history" with De Leon where multiple threats had been made toward the victim for the past two years, according to court documents.
While at the hospital, De Leon told police that he did have a pistol but that it was only a "toy," according to court documents. De Leon also told police that he had knives in his possession, according to court documents.
No officers were injured in the incident, Las Cruces Police said.
The Dona Ana County Officer-Involved Incident Task Force made up of the New Mexico State Police, the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office, the New Mexico State University Police Department, and the Las Cruces Police Department are investigating the incident.