SILVER CITY, N.M. (KRQE) – Across New Mexico, police officers face danger every day. KRQE News 13 has obtained shocking video of an officer getting ambushed by a gunman as he makes a traffic stop, where amazingly, the officer escapes unharmed.
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Earlier this month, in downtown Silver City, an officer pulled over the driver, Ruben De La O, of a Chevy Suburban after running the plate and seeing he had no insurance. Before the officer had a chance to introduce himself to the man, shots rang out. Officer Stephen Laramore runs for cover behind a parked car and calls it in.
The officer then jumps right back into the chaos and more Silver City officers immediately jump into the action as the shooter hits speeds of 100 mph through town, then hits the highway heading toward Lordsburg. However, Laramore who took a shortcut to meet the chase at the highway wasn’t out of danger yet.
The gunman fired again from his window as he passed Laramore who was on the side of the road. Police say he fired off more shots at officers as they trailed him on the highway with at least one officer returning fire from his window. De La O pulled over on the highway less than half an hour later and gave up.
It turns out, De La O was wanted out of Colorado for violating his parole stemming from a robbery conviction. The 36-year-old Las Cruces man also told police he’d gotten high just before the traffic stop. He’s now charged with attempted murder.