By Jason W. Brooks, Las Vegas Optic Editor

Courtesy of N.M. State Police

Lane Reed

A Texas man who was taken into custody after a shootout with police on I-25 in Santa Fe County drew attention to himself by committing crimes in San Miguel County.

Accoridng to the New Mexico State Police, at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, State Police officers were dispatched to an armed robbery call at the Pecos River Station, a gas station and convenience store located along Interstate 25 at mile marker 319 in San Miguel County at the San Jose exit, between Ribera and Pecos.

Officers received information that a male subject had entered the Pecos River Station and purchased a drink. The suspect, later identified as Lane M. Reed, 23, or Texas, left the store and walked to the frontage road and back to the store.

Reed re-entered the store and pointed a silver, small-framed revolver at a female child with the clerk. Reed demanded the money from the cash drawer and the keys to the clerk’s vehicle. The clerk gave him the cash — approximately $250 — but did not have any keys.

The owner of the store, who resides above the store, came downstairs into the store when he overheard the clerk talking loudly to Reed. The store owner was armed with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun in the small of his back. When the owner entered the store, Reed pointed his revolver at the owner. Reed demanded, and received, the keys to the owner’s gray 2014 Dodge four-door pickup.

Reed asked the owner where the pickup was located. The owner showed him and discovered the owner was armed. Reed subsequently took the handgun from the store owner.

The suspect then left the store and drove away in the owner’s pickup. State Police sent an advisory to all nearby law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for the stolen Dodge pickup.

Around 10:00 a.m., deputies with the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department observed the stolen pickup on the west frontage road of I-25 near La Cienega, around mile marker 272, near the top of the La Bajada Hill incline.

When deputies attempted to stop the vehicle driven by Reed, the vehicle turned onto a dead-end street in the Waldo area, attempting to elude deputies. Reed turned the vehicle around and fired multiple gunshots at deputies.

Reed then drove onto southbound I-25, attempting to evade law enforcement, and made it to the Santo Domingo exit (mile marker 259) where deputies attempted to conduct a felony stop.

Reed began firing rounds a second time at deputies at that location. One Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department deputy returned fire at Reed through his windshield. Reed continued southbound on Interstate 25.

Officers and eyewitnesses observed him throwing items out his window, including what appeared to be money and a firearm. Eyewitnesses later recounted to officers during interviews they observed Reed pointing a gun at officers and shooting.

State Police officers observed the stolen pickup just north of Algodones at mile marker 250 southbound and began assisting the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department in the pursuit. For a third time, Reed again began firing out his window at officers near that location.

A State Police officer returned fire through his windshield and Reed then stopped and surrendered. There were no injuries obtained by Reed or officers during the incident.

Reed was booked into the Sandoval County Detention Center for charges from this incident as well as numerous nationwide warrants.

When officers took Reed into custody, he told officers he knew he was wanted by law enforcement and he wanted to “go out with a bang.” Reed had numerous felony warrants from across the nation for crimes including robbery, aggravated robbery, and aggravated motor vehicle theft. He was wanted for several armed robberies in Texas and had threatened “suicide by cop.”

Subsequent investigation conducted by the New Mexico State Police revealed that the Raton Police Department had been dispatched to a robbery at the Cross Roads gas station on July 24, 2017, the day prior. The description of the suspect matched Reed’s description.

It was also reported the suspect in the Raton robbery used a silver, small-framed revolver to demand money from the cash drawer before leaving in a Toyota four-door sedan bearing Florida plates. When State Police responded to the call at the Pecos River Station, officers located in the nearby area a black 2018 Toyota four-door sedan bearing Florida registration. Officers discovered this vehicle had been reported stolen out of Denver, Colorado on Monday at around 9 p.m. The suspect from the auto-theft matched the description of Reed.

Witnesses stated the suspect took the vehicle from the occupants after brandishing a firearm at a Diamond Shamrock gas station in Denver. The Denver Police Department was able to establish through their investigation that Lane Reed was the suspect in the theft of the black Toyota.

The names of the officers involved in the shooting incident will not be released until after all interviews are conducted. This investigation remains ongoing. State Police said when more information is available, it will be released.

The State Police Investigations Bureau is investigating the entire officer-involved shooting incident. State Police are also investigating the armed robbery in San Miguel County.

The NMSP Crime Scene Team is processing multiple crime scenes covering this entire incident. Officers recovered a revolver and money along Interstate 25 in separate locations where Reed was observed to have been throwing items out his window.