Suspect in New Mexico state trooper killing arrested

March 17 (UPI) -- A man suspected of killing a New Mexico state trooper and a South Carolina paramedic was taken into custody Sunday after a shooting that involved police, authorities said.

The suspect, Jaremy Smith, was taken into custody in Bernalillo County, N.M., after a foot chase that resulted in Smith being shot and wounded by at least one deputy, according to New Mexico State Police.

Smith is a suspect in the fatal shooting of New Mexico State Police officer Justin Hare early Friday and the slaying of Phonesia Machado-Fore, a South Carolina paramedic who was reported missing on Thursday, authorities said.

Smith, 33, was identified on Saturday by police, and became the subject of a massive manhunt. His arrest came less than 24 hours after New Mexico State Police Chief Troy Weisler said, "Jaremy Smith, we are coming for you."

"Yesterday, we said we would bring Jaremy Smith to justice. There was nowhere that he could run, and there was nowhere he could hide," Weisler said during a news conference Sunday announcing Smith's capture. "Today, thanks to our community, to our fellow law enforcement partners, we were able to do that."

A gas station clerk in Albuquerque reportedly recognized a man matching Smith's description around 7 a.m. local time Sunday and called police, Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen said. When officers arrived at the scene, they spotted Smith walking on a road in a residential neighborhood and immediately started to establish a perimeter, Allen added.

"A foot pursuit ensued, shots were fired. Some shots struck Smith. We don't know the amount right now or how many. That's still under investigation," Allen said.

He said Smith was taken to a local hospital, where he was under guard and being treated.

"When a law enforcement officer is killed anywhere in the state of New Mexico, we stand as a unified front," Allen said, praising the work of federal, state and local law enforcement "who worked as a team to make sure we took someone that was very dangerous to the public, all of our communities, into custody."