Albuquerque police shot a suspectโ accused of firing at officers early Monday morning โฃon Interstate 40 west of the city. The suspect,identified as 32-year-old Claude Laska,was hospitalized following the โคshooting near mile marker 138 and the Route 66 Casino.
the incident unfolded after a months-longโ search for Laska, who was wanted on an arrest warrant for multiple violent felonies related to domestic violence. According to Albuquerque Police Department (APD), detectives had been attempting toโ locate laska as October 9th, learning he briefly left theโค state and evaded police in Las Vegas, Nevada. On November 2nd, Laska was โallegedly involved in a shooting at anโ apartment complex on theโ 8200 block of Bridge Boulevard S.W., and is accusedโ of forcibly entering a woman into his vehicle,โ afterward pistol-whipping her.
Detectives tracked Laska throughout the night, attempting to take him into โฃcustody without success. Shortly after 4 a.m. Monday,they encountered laska again onโข eastbound I-40. Hisโค vehicle ran out โขof gas, forcing himโฃ to โpull over. APD stated that gunshots were then fired โfrom Laska’s car, prompting one officer โtoโ return fire and strike โคthe suspect.
Laska was taken โขinto โcustody and transported to a local hospital. APD will conduct aโ full examination, with the Multi-Agency Task Force forwarding its findings to the District Attorney’s Office for potential criminal charges. โขThe โคdepartment’s Internal Affairs Force Division will also investigate the shooting itself.