ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Police records have identified the two New Mexico State Police officers involved in a routine traffic stop that turned to chaos with a teen physically confronting one officer and another officer firing shots at a minivan carrying children.
According to a police report, Officer Tony DeTavis pulled over the family of six for speeding near the northern New Mexico tourist town of Taos. A dashboard camera video shows driver Oriana Farrell disobeyed his orders and drove off. The 39-year-old Tennessee mother was pulled over again and the video shows two of her five children get out of the vehicle to confront DeTavis.
Records identified Elias Montoya as the officer who fired three shots at the van’s tire as Farrell tried to flee a second time. Farrell and her 14-year-old son were later arrested.