ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Albuquerque police say they arrested a 20-year-old man after a downtown pursuit that began with a report of someone displaying a gun near 4th Street and Central Avenue. Officers later shared video of the Aug. 8 chase, which ended with the suspect being taken into custody in a nearby parking lot.
Police identified the man as Elijah Herrera. According to investigators, officers found a Glock 26 9mm handgun in his hand when he was detained, with one round in the chamber and 17 additional rounds in the magazine.
How the downtown chase began
Authorities said the incident started when officers responded to a call about a man showing a firearm in the downtown area. After arriving, officers spotted Herrera running from the scene and followed him through the area.
The pursuit did not stay on the street for long. Police said Herrera ran into a nearby parking lot, where officers were able to catch up to him and place him under arrest. APD did not say in the video post how long the chase lasted or whether anyone else was at risk during the encounter.
Loaded handgun recovered from Herrera
Police said the weapon recovered from Herrera was a Glock 26 chambered in 9mm. The gun had a live round already loaded and an additional 17 rounds in the magazine, according to the department.
That detail is central to the case because officers described Herrera as armed during the pursuit. The firearm recovery was made while police were taking him into custody, and the department’s video post framed the arrest as the result of the downtown chase that unfolded in August.
Police say booking search turned up suspected cocaine residue
After the arrest, officers searched Herrera during booking and said they found suspected cocaine residue on two dollar bills inside his wallet. APD said a field test produced a presumptive positive result for cocaine.
Field-test results are typically an early indicator rather than a final laboratory finding, but police did not provide additional testing details in the social media post. The department included the discovery as part of the evidence collected during the arrest and booking process.
Charges filed and then dismissed without prejudice
Herrera was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on several charges, including unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon, negligent use of a deadly weapon, possession of a controlled substance, and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer. Those charges reflected both the firearm recovery and the run from police.
Police also said the prosecution later dismissed the charges without prejudice. That means the case was not dismissed in a way that necessarily prevents future action, though APD did not provide more information about why prosecutors dropped it.
What APD’s video release shows about the case
The department’s decision to post video of the August incident days later put the downtown arrest back in public view. APD said the footage showed the pursuit that followed the report of a man with a gun and ended in the parking lot arrest.
For police, the case tied together several issues: a reported firearm display in a busy downtown corridor, a foot pursuit, the recovery of a loaded handgun, and a separate drug-related finding during booking. The department did not say whether any additional charges or court action were pending after the dismissal.
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