ALAMOGORDO — An Alamogordo police officer was shot and killed Friday morning during a foot pursuit of a man with multiple warrants, making it the second on-duty death of an officer in the state in less than a month.
In a statement, Gov. Susana Martinez said she was “so very saddened” by the officer’s death and that violence against law enforcement in the state must end.
Alamogordo Police Chief Daron Syling, in a news conference, said the officer, 33-year-old Clint Corvinus, was struck by gunfire Friday morning and died from his injuries at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center. He was a four and a half year veteran of the Alamogordo Police Department and was a field training officer at the time of the incident. Corivinus also had an 8-year-old daughter.
Syling asked everyone to “be respectful of the family’s privacy at this time.”
The suspect, Joseph Moreno, 38, also was shot and pronounced dead at the scene.
Corvinus was one of two Alamogordo officers patrolling the area of the 600 Block of South Florida Avenue when he made contact with Moreno, who had three active warrants for his arrest, according to Alamogordo police. As officers made contact, Moreno fled and that is when shots were fired.
State Police and additional Alamogordo officers responded to the shooting scene near the White Sands Trailer Park around 8:30 a.m.
Court records show Moreno had a driving while intoxicated conviction and multiple other arrests. His first arrest was more than a decade ago and records show that he has been in and out of jail and prison ever since.
The Department of Corrections said that Moreno had been released from prison in February 2015 for time served. Court records show he was picked up in 2013 for being a felon in possession of a firearm and a habitual offender. He was arrested last year, in August, on charges of possessing narcotics.
Moreno was scheduled to go to trial on those charges in December. He also served time for contributing to the delinquency of a minor and injury to livestock.
Later Friday, mourners began placing flowers, notes, an American flag and stuffed animals in an impromptu memorial for the officer outside the police department in the town of about 31,000 some 200 miles south of Albuquerque.
“I am again so very saddened to see that yet another courageous law enforcement officer has been killed in the line of duty,” Martinez said in a statement. “The violence against our police officers has to end, and we must do everything we can to stand up for those who put their lives on the line every single day to protect us.”
Within hours of the shooting, law enforcement across the state expressed condolences for Corvinus’ fellow officers and family. Flags were being flown at half-staff outside the Alamogordo police department.
U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., said, in a statement, “I’m heartbroken to hear about the tragic death of Officer Clint Corvinus, who was killed today in the line of duty. My deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends, and the Alamogordo Police Department. New Mexico stands with the entire Otero County community during this difficult time.”
U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., said, “As the Alamogordo community grieves the loss of Officer Corvinus, we must pray for all our nation’s officers that patrol our streets to keep us safe. My condolences and prayers are with Officer Corvinus’s family, friends, and with the Alamogordo Police Department.”
Attorney General Hector Balderas offered: “Rest in peace Officer Corvinus, your service and sacrifice to protect New Mexico families will never be forgotten.”
The officer’s death comes three weeks after authorities say an Ohio fugitive gunned down Officer Jose Chavez during a traffic stop in Hatch, a village about 100 miles west of Alamogordo that’s known for its green chile crop.
The suspect in that shooting, Jesse Hanes, was arrested after a dramatic car pursuit, a carjacking and the shooting of a bystander whose car Hanes stole, police said. He has been charged by prosecutors in Doña Ana County with Chavez’s death.
Copyright 2016 Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
Tribune News Service
