The suspect in the fatal shooting of New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare has been taken into custody following a two-day manhunt. Jaremy Smith, 33, of Marion, South Carolina, was captured on Sunday after a foot pursuit and officer-involved shooting with the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office in Albuquerque, according to authorities.
Sheriff John Allen announced at a news conference that a gas station clerk in southwestern Albuquerque reported seeing a man matching Smith's description, leading to his capture. "A foot pursuit ensued," Allen said. "Shots were fired. Some shots strike Smith, we don't know the amount right now or how many, that's still under investigation. But Smith was then taken into custody without further incident."
The arrest comes two days after Officer Hare, 35, was shot and killed while responding to assist Smith with a flat tire along Interstate 40 on Friday morning. According to State Police Chief Troy Weisler, Smith exited his white BMW and approached Hare's patrol car on the passenger side. "A short conversation ensued about repairing his tire when, without warning, Smith pulled out a firearm and shot Officer Hare," state police said in a statement.
Smith then allegedly walked to the driver's side of the patrol vehicle, shot Hare again, and pushed him into the passenger seat before driving away in the officer's vehicle. When Hare failed to respond to calls from dispatch, another officer was sent to assist and eventually caught up with the stolen patrol car, which had crashed. Smith was believed to have fled on foot, while Hare was found nearby and transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation took a tragic turn when authorities discovered that the white BMW driven by Smith belonged to Phonesia Machado-Fore, 52, a paramedic from Marion County, South Carolina, who had been reported missing by her family on Thursday evening. Machado-Fore's body was found on Friday outside of Lake View in neighboring Dillon County.
New Mexico State Police had informed the Marion County Sheriff's Office that Machado-Fore's vehicle was involved in the fatal shooting of Officer Hare. "Federal, state, and local authorities worked across the country in an attempt to identify the driver as well as find Mrs. Machado-Fore," the sheriff's office said in a statement.
Before his arrest, state police revealed that Smith had an "extensive criminal history" in South Carolina, including armed robbery, auto theft, and evading officers, among other crimes. The investigation into the relationship between Smith, Machado-Fore's death, and Officer Hare's murder is ongoing.
State Police Chief Weisler expressed gratitude that no deputies were injured during Smith's capture on Sunday, and stated that the focus in the coming days would be on determining whether anyone assisted the suspect. Marion County Sheriff Brian Wallace vowed to "not stop until we bring the person or persons responsible for [Machado-Fore's] death to justice."
The loss of Officer Hare, a father of two who graduated from the police recruit school in 2018, has deeply affected the law enforcement community and the public. "On a cold, dark and windy morning, he offered help to a person he thought was in need," Weisler said. "That person killed him in cold blood. The last words Officer Hare uttered on this earth was to offer help to a man who was about to kill him."
As the investigation continues, authorities are working to piece together the events that led to the tragic deaths of Officer Hare and Phonesia Machado-Fore, while ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice.
