Judge Dismisses Lawsuit in Death of New Mexico Officer

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit alleging the Department of Homeland Security was negligent in a drug bust that resulted in the first New Mexico State Police officer killed in the line of duty in over three decades.

U.S. District Judge Kea Riggs ruled that the government had sovereign immunity and its employees were using discretionary function in the Feb. 4, 2021, death of Darian Jarrott, 28, The Albuquerque Journal reported.

There were multiple lawsuits filed at the state and federal level regarding Jarrott`s death.

Jarrott, a father of four, was helping with a homeland security investigation when a suspect shot and killed him, according to the Journal.

The suspect shot Jarrott at a traffic stop during a car chase with authorities. That ended in a gunfight that injured another officer.

Homeland Security officials had made a plan to arrest the suspect for selling fentanyl and methamphetamine to an undercover agent, per the Journal.

An attorney representing Jarrott’s family said they had not yet decided their next steps, the newspaper reported.