TAOS, N.M. (KRQE) – Police footage shows a dangerous police chase through Northern New Mexico where an officer had to use his own vehicle to stop a Georgia man accused of stealing a truck from a sheriff’s office.
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On April 28, a New Mexico State Police officer crashed his own patrol unit into a stolen Taos County Sheriff’s Office truck. It started early that morning when the sheriff’s office said a man stole one of their trucks and took off.
The footage shows officers take down 39-year-old Shay Hawes from Georgia after he’s accused of walking through a broken gate at the sheriff’s office headquarters. He was seen on surveillance video throughout the night walking around the property and eventually worked his way into stealing a marked sheriff’s truck that a deputy left running. The deputy had gone inside to finish paperwork and claimed he had locked the truck.
Moments after the theft, state police were waiting for Hawes to pass at the intersection of Paseo Del Pueblo Sur and Paseo Del Canon in Taos when an officer crashed into the stolen rig, sending it into a light pole. Both vehicles were badly damaged. Police footage shows a chaotic scene as deputies tried to arrest Hawes.
Deputies struggled with Hawes thinking he was trying to grab a service rifle from inside the truck. They eventually pulled him out of the passenger side and took Hawes into custody.
According to court records, Hawes was caught wandering around the sheriff’s property just a week before the truck theft. Hawes is facing assault, car theft, weapons, and fugitive charges.
He has a history of drug, burglary, and other charges in Georgia. Hawes is still in the Taos County Jail and prosecutors are asking for him to be locked up through trial.
