ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It’s been just five days since New Mexico State Police lost one of their own. Now, we’re learning more about who NMSP officer Justin Hare was before he was killed in the line of duty.

NMSP says Hare was shot and killed as he was trying to help Jaremy Smith with flat tires Friday.

Officers with state police told KOB 4 now that Smith is behind bars, they can start to properly grieve their friend and fellow officer.

NMSP Association President and Sgt. Jose Carrasco worked with Hare quite a bit. He told KOB 4 Hare served on the association’s board as its treasurer, and was always the first one to pitch in and help.

“He was the first one to stand up and step up, and he was in Tucumcari at the time. I was stationed up in Albuquerque, and he would go on his days off to help me. He became the treasurer ’cause I told him, ‘I need help, man,’” said Carrasco. 

When Carrasco heard the news, he says he wasn’t surprised to find out Hare was trying to do someone a favor.

“That’s the kind of person Justin was, is he truly wanted to help. Like, he would even change tires for people. He wouldn’t just block traffic for somebody to change their tire,” Carrasco said. “When this incident happened, and I was told that he was actually trying to help somebody, it didn’t surprise me about the kind of person he was, because that’s the person he is, and he’s always been.”

Carrasco explained, now that the suspect is in custody, he and his colleagues can start to process this loss and grieve. Especially the ones who responded to the call.

“If you can just imagine, it’s very, very traumatic. It’s when you respond to a call like that, and you actually see one of your officers in your own uniform on the ground, you know, horizontal. That is one of the worst things that we can ever respond to, and those officers did that that day,” said Carrasco. 

Carrasco says losing anyone is hard, but losing one of their own hits differently.

“When it’s somebody that you really know, man, it’s just like that family member, you know, we’re all state police, is a big family,” Carrasco said. 

Carrasco says they also feel the loss of the second victim, a paramedic from South Carolina, Phonesia Machado-Fore. Smith is a person of interest in her death.

“It just adds to the heartache because now it’s just multiple people that are now deceased because of one person,” said Carraso. “When it’s a first responder, when it’s a police officer I don’t care what part of the country you’re from, it just hurts.”

If you would like to donate to the NMSP Association GoFundMe, click here.

You can also send checks in the mail to 4120 Cutler Ave NE Albuquerque, NM 87110. Be sure to make out any checks to Terry Hare or Daizzare Quintana.

You can also drop off envelopes in person at that location Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.