Las Cruces Police Department
agency in New Mexico. 22 people killed by police recorded involving this agency between 2013 to 2026.
Who was killed
| Recorded race | Killed by police | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 15 | 68.2% |
| White | 3 | 13.6% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 4.5% |
| Black | 1 | 4.5% |
| Unknown race | 1 | 4.5% |
| Asian | 1 | 4.5% |
How people were killed
| Cause of death | Deaths | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Gunshot | 21 | 95.5% |
| Physical Restraint, Taser | 1 | 4.5% |
Where more than one means is recorded for the same death, both appear in the combined category rather than being counted twice.
Were any officers charged
Of the 22 deaths recorded involving Las Cruces Police Department, 3 led to a criminal charge against an officer, 13.6% of them. In 19 there is no known charge.
| Outcome where a charge was brought | Cases |
|---|---|
| Convicted, or pleaded guilty | 2 |
| Acquitted | 0 |
| Charges dropped | 0 |
| Charged, outcome not recorded | 1 |
How to complain about Las Cruces Police Department
There are four routes, and they are not alternatives to one another. You can use more than one, and using one does not stop you using another.
1. The department itself. Almost every US department runs an internal affairs or professional standards unit. We do not publish a web address for this department because we could not verify one from a public record, and an unverified address on a complaints page is worse than none. Search for the department by its full name plus the words "internal affairs" or "file a complaint", and check the address ends in a .gov or official municipal domain before you send anything.
2. The state. Office of the Attorney General, New Mexico handles civil rights matters at state level, and in some states investigates police conduct directly: nmag.gov/about-us/meet-the-attorney-general. Most states also run a police standards and training board with the power to decertify an officer, which is a separate process from a complaint to the department.
3. The federal government. The US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division takes complaints about police misconduct that may breach federal civil rights law, at civilrights.justice.gov. The FBI also receives civil rights complaints through its field offices and at tips.fbi.gov. Federal investigations are comparatively rare and are aimed at patterns of conduct as well as individual cases.
4. A civil claim. A claim under 42 U.S.C. §1983 is a lawsuit, not a complaint, and it runs on a strict time limit set by your state. Qualified immunity is a substantial obstacle in many of these cases. How the four routes work in full.
Time limits differ by state and by route, and some are short. If you think you may want to bring a claim as well as complain, take advice on the deadline early rather than after the complaint concludes.
How oversight works in New Mexico The four routes in full
Share a finding about Las Cruces Police Department
Every statement here is generated from the published figures by code. None of it is written by a person or produced by a language model, and each one carries its source and its period so you can check it before you pass it on.
Of the 22 people killed by police recorded for Las Cruces Police Department where a race was entered, the largest recorded group was Hispanic, at 68.2%. Race here is recorded by the reporting agency, not self-reported.
Source: Mapping Police Violence, 2013 to 2026. Figures as published; see the tables on this page for the full denominators.
Las Cruces Police Department in the news
The five most recent reports mentioning this force, collected automatically. Headlines and links belong to the publishers named. We do not edit, summarise or endorse them, and inclusion here does not imply any finding against anyone.
- Las Cruces shooting suspect ordered held pending trial
- Man sentenced to 23 years for killing Las Cruces driver
- Court records: Las Cruces teen accused of opening fire after alleged drug-sale encounter
- Pancho Garcia sentenced to 23 years in killing of Las Cruces school bus driver
- Man gets 23-year prison term in Las Cruces school bus driver's shooting death
Data last refreshed , covering 2013 to 2026. Every figure on this page is recomputed from the source datasets, not edited by hand. Found something wrong? Tell us.