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Patrolman

Justin Hare

New Mexico State Police — Santa Fe, NM

Felonious

End of Watch March 15, 2024

Age 35

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

The Vigil Panel 401 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 28

Incident

Patrolman Justin Hare was shot and killed at about 5:30 am while conducting a welfare check on a disabled vehicle that was stopped near mile marker 320 on I-40, west of Tucumcari.

As Patrolman Hare stopped behind the vehicle, the driver exited and walked to the cruiser's passenger window. The two had a short discussion, and as Patrolman Hare offered to drive the man into town, the subject suddenly produced a handgun and shot him. He shot him a second time before pushing him into the passenger seat. He then abducted him and stole the patrol car, abandoning it approximately 16 miles away and fleeing on foot.

Patrolman Hare was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wounds two hours later.

Unbeknownst to Patrolman Hare, the man was the suspect in the murder of an off-duty paramedic in South Carolina several days earlier and had been released a few months prior from prison on community supervision. The car he was driving belonged to the murder victim. The subject was arrested two days later after exchanging gunfire with a Bernalillo County sheriff's deputy. In 2025, he pleaded guilty to Carjacking Resulting in Death, Kidnapping Resulting in Death, and three felony firearm charges and was sentenced to life in prison.

Patrolman Hare had served with the New Mexico State Police for six years. He is survived by his expectant fiancée, two children, mother, father, and brother. His third daughter was born a few months after his death.

Survivors

He is survived by his expectant fiancée, two children, mother, father, and brother.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Hare gave the New Mexico State Police 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of New Mexico. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Hare.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department New Mexico State Police

Type State Police

Location Santa Fe, NM

Platform Identity nmsp.nm.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 15, 2024

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 35

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Justin is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 2024, 68 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 105th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Justin was 35. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Justin had served 6 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

March holds 7.5% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded