Albuquerque, NM(KKOB)- Charges have been filed against a man involved in a shooting with Bernalillo County Sheriff;s deputies last month. 36-year old Jason Baca, is charged with four counts of aggravated Assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon, three counts of trafficking controlled substances and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The charges stem from an incident on November 12th on Central and Wisconsin in southeast Albuquerque. Around 4:45 PM, sheriff’s deputies made a traffic stop and found Baca inside the vehicle and were attempting an arrest for a warrant for selling fentanyl. As deputies tried to make the arrest, Baca took off running and pointed his gun at the deputies who were chasing him on foot. According to the sheriff’s press release, this was verified by body camera video. That is when deputies shot Baca, who was later taken to the hospital and expected to survive. Deputies then found a “significant amount of fentanyl and other drugs” with Baca.
Bernalillo County Sheriff spokeswoman Jayme Gonzales says that Sheriff John Allen is now asking for federal law enforcement to review the case for potential federal prosecution.
As reported by NewsRadio KKOB, the sheriff has been very vocal about this incident as an example of “catch and release” attitudes in New Mexico. He says, “This incident never should have happened,” . “A convicted felon with an outstanding felony warrant, armed with a handgun and trafficking fentanyl, should not have been riding around our community.”
It is expected that Baca will be officially charged once he is out of the hospital.
