In the summer of 2015, in the small city of Deming, New Mexico, a violent encounter led to the death of Hispanic / Latino male Richard Perez, age 37. On the evening of July 5th, Deming police officers were dispatched to the 1100 block of Gold Street following reports of gunfire. Upon their arrival, they discovered Richard Perez suffering from gunshot wounds.
He was quickly transported to Mimbres Memorial Hospital, but tragically succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting identified a suspect, Robert Tafoya, who was 25 years old at the time. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and five days later, on July 10, 2015, Tafoya turned himself in to the U.S. Marshals Service in Las Cruces without incident. He was subsequently charged with an open count of murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The case then moved through the legal system, culminating in a jury trial.
During the trial, which took place in January 2017, the prosecution, led by Janice Schryer, argued that the shooting was a malicious and depraved act. However, Tafoya's defense attorneys contended that he had acted in self-defense. Tafoya himself testified that he fired two rounds at Perez after an altercation. He claimed that Perez had indicated he was also armed and was reaching for his weapon when Tafoya shot him. This claim was supported by a witness who testified that Perez had a history of violence and was belligerent at the time of the incident, while Tafoya was attempting to de-escalate the situation.
After three days of proceedings, the jury in New Mexico's Sixth Judicial District Court delivered its verdict. They found Robert Tafoya not guilty of first-degree murder. The jury's decision was based on the evidence presented, with the defense's self-defense argument ultimately proving persuasive. While the murder charge was resolved, the charge of felon in possession of a firearm was still pending at the time the verdict was announced.
