Traffic Stop Turns Deadly Near Taos (story & video)

TAOS, N.M. (via KRQE) – A convicted felon who escaped community custody and was on the run for nearly a year made one final attempt at fleeing in March. It ended with him dead after he put countless people in danger.

On March 14 around 4:19 p.m., an officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a black two-door passenger vehicle on New Mexico State Road 291 in Espanola. However, the vehicle fled and a pursuit was initiated.


Police say Jeremiah Medina, 31, was driving the black Honda with a stolen license plate.

The police video shows Medina wouldn’t stop. Officers initially called off the pursuit, however, because he became more dangerous, officers were given the go-ahead to engage.

For nearly 20 minutes, the Medina drove nearly 100 miles per hour on Highway 68.

During the pursuit, officers call for help from officers near Taos. Just as it appears Medina is going to stop, he makes a U-turn on the highway. Then he sees more officers ahead and stop-sticks to try and avoid them. He even blows a tire out and still refuses to stop.

The video shows how one officer nearly loses control of his vehicle but is finally able to do a pit maneuver. After two tries, Medina loses control and rolls the car.

In the police video, you can see and hear officers yell commands at the rolled car. The video also shows a barrel of a gun coming out of the rolled vehicle. Officers then open fire.

Jeremiah Medina, has a history of resisting arrest, drugs, domestic violence and drive-by shootings. He died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Medina had been given a second chance by Santa Fe District Court Judge T. Glenn Ellington after escaping from the community custody program in 2018 and allowed to stay on probation. He quickly violated that probation in April 2019 and had been on the run since then.

News Reporter