SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – A man shot and injured by New Mexico State Police (NMSP) in 2022 after leading officers on a car chase is now taking legal action, claiming the officer used excessive force.
Paul Mares, the driver in the chase, is now suing NMSP, New Mexico Department of Public Safety (NMDPS), and the officer who fired his weapon, Officer Adam Vigil. The lawsuit claims Officer Vigil used “grotesquely excessive force” when he fired at Mares.
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“He didn’t have a firearm; he was not an immediate danger to anybody for clear bodily injury or death,” said Shane Maier, Mares’ attorney.
According to court documents, in January 2022, Mares ran a stop sign . A state police officer tried to pull him over, but Mares took off, leading officers on a several-minute car chase through Las Vegas, NM.
Officer Vigil joined the chase several minutes into the pursuit. After officers conduct a pit maneuver on Mares, lapel video shows Mare’s tried to back up and hit Vigil’s patrol unit. That’s when Officer Vigil opened fire.