End of Watch Thursday, February 4, 2021
Patrolman Darian Jarrott was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop of a known offender on I-10 near milepost 101 in Luna County.
The driver of the vehicle was the subject of an ongoing narcotics investigation and was en route to Las Cruces to participate in a drug deal. Patrolman Jarrott was assisting members of the United States Homeland Security Investigations when he stopped the vehicle. The man opened fire on Patrolman Jarrott, fatally wounding him, before fleeing in the pickup truck.
Other officers began pursuing the vehicle along I-10. At one point the subject stopped and shot at officers before fleeing again. As the vehicle entered Las Cruces the vehicle struck spike strips and a Las Cruces officer then conducted a precision immobilization technique, successfully stopped the truck. As the truck came to a stop the subject exited the vehicle and exchanged shots with the Las Cruces officer, wounding him. The Las Cruces officer and other responding officers returned fire and killed the subject.
Patrolman Jarrott had served with the New Mexico State Police for 5-1/2 years. He is survived by his expectant wife and three children.