Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
QCS Photo: Thomas Garcia New Mexico State Police Officers stand guard outside of an ambulance that is transporting a man who was taken into custody by Tucumcari Police officers Friday evening. The man was involved in an altercation with two local motel employees that involved a handgun.
link QCS Photo: Thomas Garcia
New Mexico State Police Officers stand guard outside of an ambulance that is transporting a man who was taken into custody by Tucumcari Police officers Friday evening. The man was involved in an altercation with two local motel employees that involved a handgun.
QCS Senior Writer
A local man has been charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault after apparently shooting at two employees of the Best Western Discovery Inn Friday afternoon, said Deputy Chief Peter Rivera.
John Blackmon, 23, of Tucumcari, was charged Monday in Quay County Magistrate Court on two fourth-degree felony counts of aggravated assault and three misdemeanor counts, including negligent use of a deadly weapon, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Rivera said at about 1:30 p.m. Friday, officers responded to a report that there was a man with a gun at the Best Western Discovery Inn on the 200 block of East Estrella Avenue. Upon arrival, Rivera said, officers were told that a man, later identified as Blackmon, was hiding in a utility room located in the stairwell breezeway on the west side of the building.
Rivera said two maintenance workers confronted Blackmon after housekeepers said he was hiding in the utility room, and Blackmon then fired shots in the direction of the two maintenance workers.
The three men wrestled, Rivera said, and in the course of the struggle the two maintenance workers took Blackmon’s handgun.
Blackmon then ran across the street to the Holiday Inn Express. The two Best Western employees chased and subdued him until officers arrived and took him into custody, Rivera said.
Meanwhile, units of the Quay County Sheriff’s Department and New Mexico State Police arrived to assist. Officers appeared at the Holiday Inn carrying assault weapons.
Blackmon was placed in a police cruiser until an ambulance arrived to take him to Dan C. Trigg Memorial Hospital for evaluation before he was transported to the Quay County Detention Center.
