Farmington man shot, killed by deputies in Wildflower area on Sept. 13 used replica weapons
A handgun and a rifle attachment for a handgun found at the scene were replicas
- Tedman Werito was shot and killed by deputies, who fired multiple rounds at him around 10:57 a.m. on Sept. 13 at a residence in the Wildflower area on County Road 3935.
- The first four minutes and 40 seconds of the video released by the San Juan Country Sheriff’s Office largely details information previously released by law enforcement and in court documents.
- A non-functional grenade thrown by Werito at deputies is showed in the video footage released by the Sheriff's Office. It also shows a deputy kicking the grenade away.
FARMINGTON — The man shot and killed by deputies on Sept. 13 brandished replica firearms when he pointed what was believed to be a firearm at law enforcement.
A video released by the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 5 shows edited body and patrol camera video footage from the incident, which shows Tedman Werito throw a non-functional grenade at deputies.
The Sheriff’s Office released a nearly seven-minute video detailing the investigation into the death of 44-year-old Werito, releasing some new information on how an aggravated battery investigation led to an armed standoff with Werito.
Farmington resident Werito was shot and killed by deputies, who fired multiple rounds around 10:57 a.m. on Sept. 13 at a residence in the Wildflower area on County Road 3935.
Werito reportedly brandished replica weapons
San Juan County Sheriff Ferrari described Werito as a “convicted felon and violent habitual offender” who repeatedly violated his conditions of release from the county jail.
Ferrari said in the video that the investigation showed the weapons Werito used were replicas.
The video at one point shows a replica handgun and a rifle attachment for a handgun on screen at the same time.
This is the second deputy-involved fatal shooting where a suspect drew what is believed to be a replica firearm.
Shawn Thomas, 36, reportedly brandished a replica handgun also before he was shot on July 11, near Waterflow along U.S. Highway 64.
The weapon in that incident appears to have been destroyed when the stolen vehicle Thomas was driving caught fire.
Video highlights standoff with suspect
The first four minutes and 40 seconds of the video released by the Sheriff’s Office largely details information previously released by law enforcement and in court documents.
Video footage is shown of first responders attending to a woman allegedly beaten by Werito and defendant Jimmy Begay, 57, of Farmington.
The footage shows how she was located in a bush with a broken femur then taken to San Juan Regional Medical Center for treatment, briefly showing video footage of the hospital.
Law enforcement alleges Werito beat her with a bat, causing a broken leg and accuses Begay of repeatedly punching her and possibly choking her at the residence on County Road 3935.
The woman told investigators she was forced into a pickup truck and leapt out in an effort to escape.
Cameras caught deputies escorting occupants of the residence on County Road 3935 as Werito refused to leave.
The residence had an enclosed porch with pieces of lumber used to block the view of the porch, which made it difficult to see Werito in the video.
The video footage does show the chemically inactive grenade Werito threw at deputies followed by footage of a deputy kicking the grenade away from where law enforcement was staged outside the residence.
When the video shows Werito pointing a firearm at deputies followed by the deputies firing on him, the lumber used to enclose the porch blocks most, if not all, of the actions.
The Sheriff’s Office has not released how many rounds were fired at Werito, how many struck the man and how many deputies discharged their firearms.
Joshua Kellogg covers breaking news for The Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4627 or via email at jkellogg@daily-times.com.
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