GALLUP, N.M. (KRQE) – Newly obtained police body camera video shows the initial moments where police tried stopping a driver in an SUV before the vehicle began driving through a parade. Jeff Irving is facing multiple charges related to the August 4 incident in Gallup that left 15 people injured.
According to New Mexico State Police, the situation first unfolded when Gallup Police officers tried to stop a driver after receiving a report of “individuals drinking alcohol inside a beige Chevrolet Tahoe parked along a parade route on in downtown Gallup.
A video obtained by KRQE News 13 shows the first person view from a Gallup Police officer walking up to a beige colored SUV. As the officer walks up to the SUV, the vehicle can be heard starting its engine.
Video shows the officers reaching the front-passenger side of the vehicle, which had its window rolled down. In the recording, the officer can be heard telling the driver “turn it off!” three times before the SUV pulls away from the side of the road, driving down a street lined with people.
Amid screams from nearby witnesses, police videos shows the officer running alongside the vehicle, then jumping on the running board of the truck. The officer can be seen riding along the running board for a few seconds as the SUV continues to accelerate. Eventually, the officer dropped off the side of the truck, running after the SUV as it sped away.
New Mexico State Police (NMSP) say Irving was driving the SUV, a Chevy Tahoe, traveling east on the closed road. That city street was hosting a parade for the opening of the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Centennial Celebration.
According to NMSP, the Tahoe continued on West Coal Avenue, then suddenly turned south, eventually coming to a stop after hitting a parked car. Police say Irving then backed into a New Mexico State Police unit as officers moved in.
At the scene where the SUV was stopped, several witnesses surrounded the car, some yelling at the SUV driver. Several officers can be seen on video, intervening between angry bystanders and the three people who were pulled from the SUV.
After the crash, police video shows a chaotic scene as multiple officers tried to piece together what happened. Some officers sought to help the injured, others told people to clear out of the street, unsure of what would happen next.
The suspected driver, Irving, is facing 21 charges in the case, including aggravated DWI, multiple counts of leaving the scene of a crash, driving with a revoked license, and more. According to a criminal complaint, Irving registered a 0.24 on an alcohol breath test, three times the state’s legal limit of 0.08. He is scheduled for a pretrial detention hearing Friday.