Suspect tried to jump fence; carried 30 unspent rounds

THOREAU – A McKinley County Sheriff’s deputy was able to arrest a Thoreau man May 3 in spite of the fact that the subject was carrying a loaded Taurus 38 Special and several rounds of unspent ammunition, according to a police report.

Deputy Robert Turney noted in a report that a call came at 4:18 p.m. in regarding a fist fight between two males at a Giant gas station and convenience store along New Mexico Highway 371.

“A short distance from the store on Windsong Avenue, I made contact with a male subject who was alone and wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt similar to part of the description given out by dispatch,” Turney wrote. “I quickly reached and grabbed for his right hand and felt a large revolver handgun in his pocket that he was attempting to retrieve and assault me with,” continued Turney.

Cowey Edsitty, 31, was subsequently taken to the McKinley County Detention Center on assault with the intent to commit a violent felony on a peace officer, negligent use of a deadly weapon and the unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon charges, Turney recorded in the police report.

Turney wrote that Edsitty tried to scale a nearby fence, but couldn’t because he was intoxicated. He wrote that he was able to wrestle the gun away from Edsitty and throw it to the ground. The weapon contained “two live unfired rounds” and Edsitty possessed two more rounds in his pants pocket, Turney wrote. Another 30 rounds were located in Edsitty’s backpack “in a partially opened box,” Turney wrote.

Edsitty was still incarcerated May 12 at the McKinley County Detention Center on an $8,000 bond, according to jail records.

By Bernie Dotson
Sun Correspondent