By Vic Vela
Albuquerque Journal (New Mexico)
ALBUQUERQUE — A driver pulled over for possible DWI stabbed a police officer during a scuffle late Wednesday and the officer shot and wounded the suspect during a violent fight that left both men hospitalized, according to State Police.
The State Police officer, Steven Carroll, 25, was stabbed in stomach by 39-year-old Ricky Gonzales of Santa Fe, police said.
Carroll had pulled over Gonzales off Airport Road on Santa Fe’s south side for suspected drunken driving and while Carroll was performing roadside sobriety tests, Gonzales tried to run away.
Carroll chased after Gonzales and tackled him to the ground. During the tussle, Gonzales stabbed the officer, who in turn fired at least one round from his duty weapon into the suspect’s arm.
Gonzales now faces a charge of attempted murder, with more charges expected to come, according to State Police.
“This was one of the most violent, extreme attacks on a police officer that I think I’ve ever seen,” said acting State Police Chief Robert Shilling.
Carroll, who’s been with the State Police for two years, was recovering from surgery Thursday at Christus-St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. Gonzales was also at the hospital for what Shilling described as non-life threatening injuries.
Carroll was patrolling an area near Airport Road and Fairly Lane around 11:30 p.m, when he spotted a four-door sedan with one of its tail lights out. After pulling over the car, which was allegedly being driven by Gonzales, Carroll suspected the driver of being intoxicated and asked him to step out of the vehicle to perform roadside sobriety tests.
Once outside the car, Gonzales tried to flee. A foot pursuit ensued and Carroll eventually caught up with the suspect and tackled him.
As the two wrestled on the ground, Gonzales tried to take Carroll’s gun, a Smith and Wesson .357. Along the way, Gonzales used a knife to stab Carroll in the abdomen, an unprotected area that was underneath the officer’s protective vest.
During the struggle, Carroll fired his gun, striking Gonzales at least once in the arm.
Shilling didn’t know how many shots Carroll fired and didn’t know how many of them actually hit the suspect.
In addition to being stabbed, Carroll suffered “multiple lacerations, contusions and abrasions,” according to Shilling. Gonzales may have also used rocks as weapons when fighting with the cop, Shilling said.
Shilling had no concrete information Thursday as to what may have prompted Gonzales to flee and fight the officer that evening.
“It’s purely speculation at this point,” the acting State Police chief said. “But we have confirmed that he had a suspended driver’s license from a prior DWI.” Gonzales had previously been convicted of DWI from a drunken driving arrest in September 2007, according to online court records. Shilling also said that Gonzales has an “extremely extensive and extremely violent criminal history.”
Court records show that Gonzales has an adult criminal history in New Mexico that goes back to 1994, with a robbery conviction out of Santa Fe - one that he ended up receiving some time behind bars for and a partially suspended sentence, He was also punished for violating the terms of his probation.
In June 1996, Gonzales was convicted of receiving or transferring stolen property and criminal damage to property, crimes that landed him in prison for a five-year term.
Then came his DWI arrest in 2007. But about four months after being convicted in that case, Gonzales was again arrested in March 2008 on charges of aggravated battery against a household member and concealing identity. He received probation for those crimes in April 2008, but he ended up going back to prison for violating the terms of his parole on the prior charges.
Along the way, Gonzales was also found guilty of heroin possession in 2009.
A State Police press release said that Gonzales was under the supervision of the Department of Corrections as of Wednesday night’s violent fight with Carroll, though that information appears to be incorrect, according to spokeswoman Rosie Sais.
Sais said the heroin possession charge represented a violation of Gonzales’ terms of probation in November 2009, which led a parole board to revoke his probation and order him to begin serving out the remainder of his sentence behind bars in April of last year. He was discharged from the state penitentiary on Oct. 4 and has not been under DOC supervision since, according to Sais.
Shilling said that Carroll will be placed on paid administrative leave while police conduct an internal investigation into the incident. As for Carroll’s health status, Shilling said the second-year officer is “very stable and has been responding well to doctors and nurses.”
“He’s doing extremely well and his attitude is outstanding,” he said.
Copyright 2011 Albuquerque Journal