All flags in the state of New Mexico were at half-staff until sundown on March 7, in honor of Santa Fe police officer Robert Duran, who was killed in the line of duty.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order on March 3, the day after Duran died in a car crash. He was chasing a suspect involved in a kidnapping and carjacking in Santa Fe. Two city police cars, the suspect, and another driver crashed along Interstate 25. The other driver was identified as a retired Las Vegas, New Mexico, firefighter named Frank Lovato. He also died at the scene.
“Yesterday, a tragic incident in Santa Fe claimed the lives of two dedicated public servants: Officer Robert Duran and retired Las Vegas firefighter Frank Lovato,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement while ordering flags be flown at half-staff. “Officer Duran was, by all accounts, a committed and beloved member of the Santa Fe Police Department and a loving father, husband, and son. He served the Santa Fe community with dedication and selflessness."
Duran, 43, had been with the Santa Fe Police Department (SFPD) since January 2015 and is the third SFPD officer to perish in the line of duty. He is survived by his wife and two teenage sons. “Officer Duran was well respected and loved by his peers,” Paul Joye, interim chief of the SFPD, said. “We as a department and individual[s] are grieving and processing his loss. This is a hit for all of us."
Lujan Grisham said, "I join New Mexicans from around the state in expressing my utmost gratitude to him and his family for his service. My prayers are also with the loved ones of retired Las Vegas firefighter Frank Lovato, who was integral to the growth of the town’s fire department. This is a terrible loss, and the families, friends, and colleagues of Officer Duran and Mr. Lovato are in my prayers, as are all of New Mexico’s first responders who put their lives on the line for us every day.”
A public memorial service to honor Duran will be held Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at the Rio Rancho Events Center, according to KOAT Channel 7.
