A man from South Carolina admitted guilt on Friday in the shooting death of a New Mexico state police officer who had stopped to assist him, marking a key development in a case that was set to go to trial later this year. Jaremy Smith entered the new plea in a hearing on Friday in U.S. district court in Albuquerque as part of a deal with federal prosecutors. Smith is facing a mandatory life sentence in prison without the chance of parole, with sentencing yet to be determined.
During the hearing, the courtroom was filled with numerous state police officers, along with top state and federal law enforcement officials and the parents of the deceased officer. Jim Hare, the father of State Police Officer Justin Hare, expressed relief that Smith took responsibility for his actions after a ten-month process leading up to this point.
Smith had previously pleaded not guilty to charges that included kidnapping resulting in death, carjacking resulting in death, using a firearm during a violent crime, and possessing a stolen firearm. As part of the agreement, a charge related to driving a stolen vehicle across state lines was dropped. He is also facing charges in South Carolina related to the killing of a paramedic, whose car was involved in the incident that led to Officer Hare’s death in New Mexico.
New Mexico Public Safety Secretary Jason Bowie stated that the department and state police officers will continue to support Hare’s family throughout the sentencing phase. Bowie emphasized the need for state laws to be strengthened to hold repeat offenders accountable for violent crimes like killing a police officer.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has held community meetings ahead of the legislative session, with public safety identified as a top priority. The shooting of Officer Justin Hare occurred in the early hours of March 15, 2024, near Tucumcari on Interstate 40. Smith was wounded and apprehended two days later in Albuquerque following a tip from a gas station clerk.
The investigation revealed that after Officer Hare stopped to assist a motorist in a white BMW, Smith shot him multiple times and drove away in the stolen vehicle, leaving Hare fatally wounded on the side of the road. The dash camera video captured the harrowing incident.
With safety concerns rising in communities, Bowie emphasized the urgent need for effective measures to address violent crimes during the upcoming legislative session.
IC. Her body was found outside Lake View in neighboring Dillon County. While U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland opted not to pursue the death penalty against Smith, it could be on the table with the pending state case in South Carolina, said Alexander M.M. Uballez, the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico.
