Dash video details Mountainair tragedy

MOUNTAINAIR, N.M. (KRQE) - Dramatic video released Thursday shows the traffic stop, shooting and violent aftermath that left two Mountainair residents dead and a wanted suspect charged with vehicular homicide.

The April 8 incident ended in a collision that killed a respected woman and her grandson and split the community with the town council rejecting calls to fire police Chief Ed von Kutzleben.

The video from the dash camera in von Kutzleben's patrol car shows him pulling over a pickup truck driven by Paul Sanchez, 31, on Ripley Avenue near Piñon Street. The chief earlier had received a tip that Sanchez was in the area and wanted by police in Arizona, according to New Mexico State Police.

Sanchez initially got out of the truck and approached the chief's car before being ordered back into the truck by von Kutzleben. The chief then walked to the truck, warned Sanchez to obey orders and  told him to get out of the truck.

At that point Sanchez moved as if to comply but instead punched the accelerator into a U-turn causing the back of the truck to fishtail toward the chief. Von Kutzleben fired two shots from his sidearm at the back tires as Sanchez headed south on Ripley.

Von Kutzleben started after the truck which had a head start of a block or two and was running stop signs including one at U.S. Highway 60 in the Mountainair business district. The chief was more cautious at the intersections, and his dash cam recorded the collision a block south of U.S. 60 as a cloud of dust.

When Sanchez blew through the stop sign at 3rd Street he broadsided a car driven by Flora Chavez, 78, killing her outright, State Police reported. Her grandson, Christopher Chavez, 10, died en route to a hospital.

Sanchez was not through running, the video showed, despite citizens' attempts to restrain him. By now Von Kutzleben was out of his car with his pistol drawn ordering Sanchez to the ground.

When Sanchez instead tried to run off, the chief holstered his weapon, chased him down and and tackled the suspect as a second officer arrived on the scene.  Back at the squad car and in handcuffs Sanchez is heard complaining about minor injuries and asking what happened to his missing shoe.

Von Kutzleben was place on standard paid administrative leave after the incident but has since returned to work. He defended his actions during a contentious public meeting in Mountainair Tuesday night saying his responses were based on his training.

At the meeting Mayor Velta Gilley said investigators told her the chief had been cleared of any wrongdoing. However State Police have said the investigation is ongoing.

Sanchez was treated and released at an Albuquerque hospital before being booked into the Torrance County Detention Center.  In addition to vehicular homicide, he was charged with drug possession after officers reported finding methamphetamine in his truck.

He was wanted in Phoenix on a parole violation.