Payson Police fatally shoot man in parking lot encounter

Payson Police fatally shot a 31-year-old New Mexico man who allegedly had forced a female into a vehicle at gunpoint early Tuesday in a supermarket parking lot, the police chief said.

The female got out of the vehicle and was being escorted to a police car when the shooting occurred after the man also got out of the vehicle, Police Chief Ronald Tischer said in a statement.

payson ois

  (Alexis Bechman/Payson Roundup)

The man "turned towards officers and made a motion as if he was drawing a weapon from his waistband," Tischer said on Aug. 24.

Officers then shot the man when he disregarded commands to stop and show his hands, Tischer added.

payson ois scene

  (Alexis Bechman/Payson Roundup)

No identities were released and it wasn’t clear whether the female is an adult.

Payson is 70 miles east of Phoenix.

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