LAS CRUCES – Prosecutors are seeking to keep a man accused of leading police on a chase then beating two officers in jail as he awaits a resolution to the criminal charges.
Jeffrey Gatzke, 27, is charged with receiving or transferring a stolen motor vehicle, aggravated fleeing of a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, receiving stolen property, aggravated battery and aggravated battery resulting in great bodily harm stemming from a series of incidents on March 22 .
Stolen car and chase through town
According to an affidavit written by Las Cruces Police Department Det. Frank Torres, an El Paso man reported that his 2008 Kia Spectra had been stolen Tuesday morning. Torres said that police discovered the Spectra at the Walmart on Valley Drive surrounded by three people tossing merchandise into the vehicle.
As the LCPD patrol officer approached, the driver sped away. Torres said that the patrol officer deployed a tracking device on the Spectra as it sped away. The LCPD patrol officer ended his brief pursuit when the driver, believed to be Gatzke, sped through a red light.
The Spectra was then spotted by a Mesilla Marshal, Torres said. The Marshal saw the Spectra speed into the Mesilla town limit and followed the Spectra onto Highway 28. The Marshal then attempted to pull the Spectra over, but stopped when he saw Gatzke reach for something inside the car. The chase then continued with Gatzke driving through residential areas at speeds of 70 miles per hour, Torres said.
At one point, Torres said that Gatzke slammed his brakes and caused the Marshal to veer off onto the side of the road to avoid striking the stolen Spectra. Torres said that Gatzke also nearly veered into a pedestrian bicyclist during the chase. The Marshal was forced to end his pursuit because chasing Gatzke had become too dangerous, Torres stated.
The Spectra was then seen by a Doña Ana County Sheriff’s deputy on University Avenue. The deputy set up a tire deflation device, finally bringing Gatzke’s car to a stop. Gatzke then jumped out of the car and fled on foot, according to Torres. Gatzke was eventually detained by police at the Saint Albert the Great Newman Center on South Solano Boulevard where Torres said he hid under a parked car.
Back at the Spectra, Torres said that about $400 of the stolen merchandise was discovered inside the car.
Officers attacked
As Torres spoke with loss prevention staff at Walmart, he said in his affidavit that he got a call that Gatzke had attacked two LCPD transport officers while in custody.
Torres described video from a body camera and security camera from the LCPD Booking Room in his affidavit that depicted the attack. He said Gatzke asked to go to the bathroom at about 3 pm One officer waited outside the bathroom while the other went inside with Gatzke.
Torres said that the officer was assisting Gatzke with his handcuffs when Gatzke knocked him to the floor. Gatzke then punched the officer five times before the officer stationed outside came in, according to the affidavit. As the officer tried to knock Gatzke off, Gatzke was able to push the second officer away before attacking her.
Eventually, one of the officers was able to call for help and the bathroom was flooded with police, Torres said. Both officers were taken to a Las Cruces hospital for treatment, Torres said.
Gatzke remains in jail as he awaits a hearing when a judge will determine if he is dangerous and if there are any conditions of release that could ensure the safety of the public.
Justin Garcia is a public safety reporter at the Sun-News. He can e reached at JE [email protected].
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