8-30-2024 12:41am

White Sands Mall Alamogordo Police Standoff Ends Around Midnight

Chris Edwards Editor

At 7:40 pm on Thursday August 29th, 2024 the Alamogordo Police were dispatched to the White Sands Mall for a standoff that began with a high speed chase ending at the mall with the New Mexico State Police as the lead agency. The Alamogordo Police Department were alerted that a vehicle pursuit initiated by the State Police had entered the city. The vehicle pursuit ended at the White Sands Mall parking lot, Alamogordo Police said.

Alamogordo Police responded to assist with the incident and in helping State Police secure the scene, according to Alamogordo officials. Alamogordo Police said that “nearby businesses” were evacuated. The incident was reported as under control around midnight.

AlamogordoTownNews.org reported in a prior release upon the official announcement by the Tularosa Basin Dispatch Authority that the area around the mall of White Sands Blvd from the Taco Bell to the Fairgrounds Area was closed to thru traffic because of a police action.

Officers asked mall managers to evacuate Melrose, Ross, Marshalls & Harbor Freight via their back entrances.

There was a barricaded parked car running in front of Subway with one occupant driver as a suspect.

An officer who asked to not to be identified stated that the suspect is a "known person of interest to the police and has been involved in a prior incidents."

The yet to be officially named suspect was witnessed yelling out of the car window that he doesn't want to go back to jail and doesn't want to come out of the car at this time. The state police called in a Bearcat armored vehicle and backup from other agencies as the assailant was thought to be armed and dangerous in potentially harming himself or others.

It was reported that family members were called in and requested to help talk down the suspect

People at the scene reported shots fired as midnight approached and by 12:10 traffic flow down White Sands Blvd was reported as back to normal flow.

An APD representative stated that the assailant was being transported to the local hospital and an official statement will be released by APD public affairs on Friday.

A statement was issued by the Alamogordo Police Department on Friday stating that the lead agency on this issue is the New Mexico State Police and that further statements around the incident will be made through them...

"On August 29, 2024, at approximately 1941 hours, the Alamogordo Police Department was alerted to a vehicle pursuit initiated by the New Mexico State Police entering the town. Officers were informed that the vehicle had stopped in the White Sands Mall parking lot.

Alamogordo Police Department officers responded to assist the New Mexico State Police in securing the scene and evacuating nearby stores.

The New Mexico State Police were in command of the scene, and any further inquiries should be directed to them for additional information."