{"id":1800,"date":"2026-10-16T16:39:20","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T16:39:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demingnews.com\/?p=1800"},"modified":"2026-10-16T16:39:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T16:39:20","slug":"hobbs-officer-involved-shooting-state-police-investigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demingnews.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/16\/hobbs-officer-involved-shooting-state-police-investigation\/","title":{"rendered":"Man Dies Following Officer-Involved Shooting in Hobbs; State Police Investigating"},"content":{"rendered":"

SANTA FE – The New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau is conducting an independent investigation into a fatal officer-involved shooting in Hobbs early Thursday morning that left a 40-year-old man dead following a confrontation with a Hobbs Police Department officer.<\/p>\n

According to New Mexico State Police, the shooting occurred at approximately 12:59 a.m. Thursday, October 15, near North Thorp Street and West Alston Street.<\/p>\n

Investigators identified the deceased man as Saul Licon, 40.<\/p>\n

State Police reported that a Hobbs police officer encountered Licon riding a bicycle and attempted to stop him for reasons that have not yet been determined.<\/p>\n

Licon reportedly fled on the bicycle, traveling through several streets before entering an alleyway.<\/p>\n

After entering the alley, Licon got off the bicycle and attempted to flee on foot.<\/p>\n

The officer exited the patrol vehicle and ordered Licon to stop. According to the preliminary investigation, Licon did not comply, and a physical struggle followed.<\/p>\n

During the confrontation, the officer discharged a department-issued handgun, striking Licon.<\/p>\n

Officers immediately provided medical assistance and requested emergency medical services.<\/p>\n

Licon was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.<\/p>\n

State Police investigators reported recovering a firearm at the scene. However, authorities have not disclosed the circumstances surrounding the weapon or whether it played a role in the confrontation.<\/p>\n

Those details remain part of the ongoing investigation.<\/p>\n

Investigators also determined that Licon had three active arrest warrants involving allegations of aggravated assault on a peace officer, battery upon a peace officer, possession of a firearm or destructive device by a convicted felon, and narcotics-related offenses.<\/p>\n

Authorities have not indicated whether the officer was aware of those warrants when the initial encounter occurred.<\/p>\n

The New Mexico State Police will not release the identity of the officer involved in the shooting.<\/p>\n

Questions concerning the officer’s duty status or any administrative actions are being referred to the Hobbs Police Department.<\/p>\n

The New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau is conducting the investigation at the request of the Hobbs Police Department.<\/p>\n

Once the investigation is completed, the findings will be submitted to the District Attorney’s Office for review and a determination regarding the officer’s actions.<\/p>\n

State Police have not announced a timeline for completing the investigation.<\/p>\n

The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation, and no determination regarding the justification for the use of deadly force has been announced.<\/p>\n

Any criminal allegations referenced in the outstanding warrants are accusations, and individuals are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.<\/p>\n

John Krehbiel – Bravo Mic Communications, LLC – john@bravomic.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New Mexico State Police are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting in Hobbs that left 40-year-old Saul Licon dead following a confrontation with a police officer early Thursday morning.Read More →<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,14,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["entry","author-john-k","has-excerpt","post-1800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-crime-news","category-featured","category-state-news"],"yoast_head":"\nMan Dies Following Officer-Involved Shooting in Hobbs; State Police Investigating - DemingNews.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/demingnews.com\/?p=1800\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Man Dies Following Officer-Involved Shooting in Hobbs; 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