by The Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - Two state police narcotics officers were injured when they attempted to arrest two men during a drug bust Tuesday night, authorities said.
State police spokesman Lt. Rob Shilling said undercover agents had set up a “buy-bust operation for the purchase of some crack cocaine.”
After the purchase was made, one of the agents identified himself to the two men and initiated arrest procedures. That’s when one of the men started his car and ran into the agent.
Shilling said the man then rammed the car of another agent, trapping him between the door and the car. Both agents escaped with minor injuries, he said.
“After the second ramming, the individual rammed another one of the units head on,” Shilling said. “After the vehicles were disengaged, more attempts were made to disable the individual’s vehicle.”
Those attempts included gun shots from state police officers, Shilling said. No one was hit, and it was unclear how many shots were fired.
Shilling said police eventually stopped the man’s vehicle in the median of a northeast Albuquerque street. The two suspects fled on foot, and police managed to catch one of them behind a nearby restaurant.
“The other is still at large,” Shilling said late Tuesday.
A nearby Wal-Mart was locked down after authorities received information that the at-large suspect had possibly entered the store. Customers and employees were evacuated in groups, but police did not find the man.
“Everything is considered safe at this time,” Shilling said.
Authorities did not immediately release the name of the man taken into custody or a description of the man officers were searching for.