A New Mexico judge has cleared a former police officer of criminal charges after he was accused of killing a suspect with a chokehold more than two years ago.
Defense attorneys for former Las Cruces Police Officer Christopher Smelser had argued that prosecutors failed to prove to prove he knew his actions were dangerous and created a risk of death or great bodily harm to Antonio Valenzuela, 40, after he fled from a traffic stop on Feb. 29, 2020.
