Police: Suspect in jail standoff shot himself in the jaw
CLOVIS, N.M. (AP) — A four-hour standoff at the Curry County Adult Detention Center ended when a prisoner shot and wounded himself with a gun he pulled from his clothing while being booked into the jail, authorities said Friday.
Curry County Sheriff Wesley Waller told the Eastern New Mexico News that 28-year-old Wesley Flores remained in stable condition at a Lubbock, Texas hospital after shooting himself in the jaw Thursday evening.
Flores was originally taken into custody on a warrant for failure to appear in court.
The standoff began about 2:45 p.m. Thursday when Flores took a detention center officer hostage at gunpoint. According to Waller, the arresting officer left Flores in a vestibule area while he went to the booking area. The detention officer then began a pat-down when Flores brandished the gun.
Authorities negotiated with the man, resulting in two deputies bringing the guard to safety. No jail personnel were injured.
Waller said that Flores refused to come out. Flores made statements indicating that he was going to die. He also disabled the surveillance camera inside the room, turned out the lights and quit communicating with the negotiator.
Waller said authorities tried to subdue Flores with pepper spray but he then shot himself. That’s when a SWAT team utilized a flash-bang device and entered the vestibule.
It wasn’t clear where Flores got the weapon or whether he was searched after initially being arrested. Authorities said the incident remains under investigation.
Flores will like face charges for the standoff, Waller said.
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Information from: The Eastern New Mexico News, http://www.easternnewmexiconews.com