RIO RANCHO, N.M. (KRQE) – Rio Rancho Police say one of their officers has been shot and a suspect is on the loose following an incident Monday night. Police say the shooting happened just after 8 p.m. in the parking lot of the Esther Bone Memorial Library on Pinetree Road off Southern Blvd, and north of Highway 528 near the main Rio Rancho Post Office. Police say someone called out “officer shot” on the radio. Rio Rancho Police say a male officer was shot during the incident, however, they have not released his condition. The officer’s identity has also not been released.
“Obviously anyone that would shoot a police officer is an inherit danger to the rest of the community and we want to take that person out of the community and incarcerate them so they aren’t a danger to anyone else,” said Cpt. Paul Rogers, a spokesman with the Rio Rancho Police Department.
Police say the suspect is not in custody either. Helicopters were seen circling the scene and searching for the suspect Monday night after 11 p.m. Rio Rancho Police have yet to release any information about the suspect they’re looking for. One witness spoke to News 13 shortly after the incident. The witness claims he heard 4 gunshots come from the parking lot directly in front of library, then saw two people help the officer. The witness says a man was seen giving the officer CPR.
Rio Rancho Police would not say what the officer was doing in the parking lot of the library before the shooting. Police expanded the crime scene to include the parking lot to the west of the library which include a Dollar General, Albertson’s and Arby’s. Officers from the Albuquerque Police Department and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office were also on scene Monday night helping with the investigation.
Rio Rancho Police say this is the first officer with the force who has ever been shot in the line of duty since they became a police force in 1981. KRQE News 13 has a crew at the scene of the shooting and will provide updates to this story as they become available. Watch KRQE News 13 This Morning starting at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday for more information.
