By Roger Lanse

On Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020, at about 3:49 p.m., Grant County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to Gila Regional Medical Center in reference to a patient in the ER with a gunshot wound. They made contact with Ramon Hurtado, 31, of North Hurley, who advised he had accidently shot himself in his left hand.

According to a police report, Hurtado claimed while he was out toward Mangas Valley and Red Rock, he dropped his .40 caliber Glock Model 22 in in the dirt from the tailgate of his vehicle. To clean the dirt off his weapon, he stated he removed the magazine and when he attempted to rack the slide to clear the chambered round he must have pulled the trigger. Deputies advised Hurtado must have had his left hand over the muzzle of the pistol while attempting to rack the slide and the bullet entered the lower part of his palm under his pinky finger and exited on that side of his hand closer to the wrist. The report said after the accident, he stated he drove to his friend’s house in Bayard, who then drove Hurtado to the hospital.

Hurtado was treated and released from the hospital and given a ride to his vehicle, which was parked on Winifred Street in Bayard, by deputies. The report stated deputies received consent from Hurtado to search his vehicle from which they were able to recover the gun. The weapon did appear to have blood on it. The weapon was run through NCIC and came back clear.

The Glock was made safe, according to the report, and a gun lock was placed on it before releasing it back to Hurtado.