NMSU Officer Cleared in Campus Shooting of Student

The officer shot an armed student who was making threats.

The campus police officer involved in a shooting at a New Mexico State University apartment complex has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

A district attorney cleared NMSU Officer Jarrod Colliver for shooting an armed student in the leg in November.

Collins was responding to a report of a man with a gun on campus Nov. 14 when he confronted student Karsten Cuthair, 28, making threats and waving a handgun at the Chamisa Village apartments.

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Body camera footage shows Colliver instructing Cuthair to drop his weapon from around a corner before firing two shots. One of those shots hit Cuthair in the leg and the suspect was taken into custody.

Cuthair was treated at University Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries and was released shortly afterward.

NMSU Police Chief Stephen Lopez said he was pleased with Colliver’s response to the threat in a press conference shortly after the incident.

Dona Ana County District Attorney Mark D’Antonio said he reviewed footage from the officer’s body worn camera (included below) before making his decision.

“After reviewing this case, we have concluded that the shooting of Karsten Cuthair by Officer Jarrod Colliver of the NMSU Police Department was justified,” D’Antonio told cbs4local.com.

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