Officers were trying to make contact with a man who was believed to be thinking about committing suicide and who had barricaded himself in a third-floor room at a hotel. Officers attempted to negotiate with the man for several hours, police said. Eventually, the Las Cruces Police Department's SWAT and Hostage Negotiation teams made contact, but the subject remained uncooperative. Shortly after 10:30 p.m., shots were fired and the man was killed. Dunne was a graduate student studying social work at New Mexico State University, was a veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Victim's Name: Josh Dunne
Agency Responsible: Las Cruces Police Department
Gender: Male
Age: 36
Race: White
Date of Death: December 2, 2016
County: Dona Ana
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Official Disposition: Pending investigation/No Known Charges
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: Yes
Armed: Unclear
Weapon: undetermined
Threat Level: undetermined
Fleeing: Not fleeing
Body Camera: No
Washington Post Database ID: 2099
Geography: Suburban