The city of Las Cruces announced Monday that it reached a $20 million settlement with the family of Teresa Gomez, who was fatally shot by an officer.

The City of Las Cruces has reached a $20-million settlement with the family of a woman who was allegedly shot and killed by a former Las Cruces police officer last year. The City of Las Cruces said it’s also in the final stages of financing the settlement,

The City of Las Cruces just agreed to a $20 million settlement with the Estate of Teresa Gomez, who was shot by Officer Felipe Hernandez.

The city of Las Cruces agreed to settlement terms for a lawsuit stemming from a fatal police shooting in 2023. Las Cruces will pay the estate of Teresa Gomez $20 million. This comes after Gomez, 45, was shot and killed by police officer Felipe Hernandez, who now faces a murder charge.

New Mexico has among the highest rates of killings by police officers in the U.S., and officials are trying to reduce the number of deadly encounters.