The man who was accused in connection to the death of New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare in March 2024 has pleaded guilty to charges related to carjacking, kidnapping, and fatally shooting a stolen gun, as stated in federal court documents.
According to court documents in New Mexico, Jaremy Alexander Smith from South Carolina has pleaded guilty to five charges that he was indicted on. These charges include:
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- Carjacking resulting in death;
- Causing death by the discharge of a gun during and in relation to a crime of violence;
- Kidnapping resulting in death;
- Being a prohibited person in possession of a gun; and
- Possession of a stolen gun.
According to court documents, Smith was accused of stealing a pistol and was driving on I-40 in Quay County on the morning of March 15, 2024. Smith claims that while he was in the area, the car he was driving had a flat tire, and Hare stopped to help. When Hare offered to drive Smith to the nearest town, Smith admitted to shooting Hare multiple times. Smith then took Hare’s police cruiser and drove with him for a short while before abandoning Hare on the roadside and driving off in the stolen police cruiser.
According to court documents, Smith admitted to driving Hare’s police cruiser until he crashed it. After the crash, he proceeded to steal a pickup truck and fled to Bernalillo County. As previously reported on MyHighPlains.com, Smith was eventually apprehended in the Albuquerque area following a police chase, during which he was shot and injured by officers.
According to the court documents, prosecutors have indicated that they do not intend to pursue the death penalty for Smith’s charges. However, it is important to note that these charges still have the potential to result in a life sentence in prison.