By Roger Lanse
On Saturday, May 2, 2020 at about 6:27 p.m., Grant County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to 328 Bill Evans Lake Road in reference to a welfare check involving a male driving intoxicated with his 5-year-old daughter. When the deputy arrived at the address, according to a GCSO offense report, he observed Lance Finch, 27, of Buckhorn, who he knew from previous encounters, leaving in a white 2008 Dodge flatbed pickup. Although the deputy activated both lights and sirens to initiate a traffic stop, Finch continued down Bill Evans Lake Road, at speeds up to 60 miles per hour, forcing several drivers off the road to avoid collisions.
Finch then turned west on Highway 180, the report stated, traveling at speeds up to 95 mph. He stopped at Shields Canyon Road, and while in reverse gear backed over a stop sign and the deputy who was outside his unit giving commands to Finch to exit the vehicle had to quickly re-enter his unit to avoid being struck. Finch then, the report said, continued down Shields Canyon Road for about 300 yards before turning around and proceeding west again on Highway 180.
The deputy continued following Finch, according to the report, observing him to turn on to Five Mile Creek Road in Buckhorn, continue up that road at a high rate of speed, and stop at a residence, 48 Five Mile Creek Road, which the deputy knew to be Finch's mother's home. Finch exited the vehicle at this point and with a small child in his arms ran into the house.
Another deputy and two New Mexico State Police officers arrived at this time and for about 45 minutes Finch was commanded to leave the house, the report said. Considering him barricaded, Jess Watkins, GCSO Undersheriff instructed Finch by phone to surrender. One of the NMSP officers was able to get Finch to agree to give the original pursuing deputy the child. As that deputy was carrying the child to his patrol unit, Finch began to resist arrest, according to the report, so the deputy handed off the child to another deputy and assisted the NMSP officers in restraining Finch.
Finch was arrested on charges of child abuse (he has two prior convictions for child abuse), aggravated assault on a peace officer, aggravated fleeing from a peace officer, aggravated DWI, and resisting, evading, or obstructing an officer. He was taken to GCSO for paperwork and booked into the Grant County Detention Center, where he remains in custody as of Tuesday, May 5.
Finch's daughter, who told deputies she was scared because her dad was driving fast and she couldn't get her seat belt on, was entrusted to nearby residents who had watched the little girl in the past, who were, in turn, to deliver her to Finch's sister, the report stated.