Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
A Tucumcari man was jailed on attempted murder charges Monday. Police say Anthony Ray Kent, 56, shot at a man at least 15 times and wounded him in front of the Quay County Family Health Center.
Kent was charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and shooting at or from a motor vehicle (no great bodily harm).
The attempted-murder charge is a second-degree felony that could lead up to nine years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. The other charges also are felonies.
Kent is being held at the Quay County Detention Center without bond.
Online court documents show Kent shot at the victim, James Hutchison, at least 15 times with a handgun and an AR-15 rifle.
Hutchison was wounded in the left hip and right ankle. A report on the shooting stated he was in stable condition and speaking normally before he was flown to a hospital in Texas for treatment.
Several bullets also struck the clinic’s building. Police officers stretched crime-scene tape in front of the clinic shortly after the shooting Monday afternoon.
The Quay County Family Health Center was closed Tuesday morning. A representative at Presbyterian Medical Services, which operates the clinic, was unaware of the incident when contacted at the central office on Tuesday morning.
Records show Hutchison told State Police Investigator Mark Preciado he gave Kent’s former girlfriend a tattoo about four months ago. About that time, Hutchison said Kent began to accuse him of having an affair with the woman.
Hutchison said Kent made threats he would “shoot him in the head” and “he will get his boys” in trying to intimidate him.
Hutchison said his wife works at the Family Health Center at 1301 E. Main St. Hutchison said Kent's former girlfriend called Monday morning and told him Kent was going there with a group of guys to question Hutchison's wife. Hutchison said he went to the clinic on his motorcycle to ensure his wife would safely make it home.
Kent did appear at the clinic, records show, approached Hutchison and tried to shake his hand, but Hutchison refused.
They began to argue, and Kent got into his pickup truck.
Hutchison said Kent, seated in the truck, then brandished a handgun and shot it at him. Hutchison said Kent then began to shoot an AR-15 toward him.
Hutchison said he rolled on the ground, trying to get to cover.
After the shooting, NMSP Sgt. Conner Russell stated as he was traveling north on First Street in Tucumcari, he saw a southbound pickup that matched the one seen at the shooting.
Russell made a U-turn in his patrol vehicle to catch up with the pickup.
The pickup’s driver pulled over at First Street and Dehoney Avenue. Russell said a man exited the truck with his hands up and “stated he was the one who shot another male subject at the Quay County Family Health Clinic.”
The man, identified as Kent, told Russell he had a .357 handgun and an AR-15 in the passenger seat of his truck.
Russell detained Kent and took him to the NMSP office in Tucumcari. The truck was towed to the office, as well.
During Preciado’s interview with Kent, he said he went to the clinic for a doctor’s appointment. As Kent arrived, he saw a man standing next to a motorcycle, staring at him.
“Mr. Kent stated he felt uneasy because he was told that his girlfriend ... was trying to set him up and get him killed by a biker,” Preciado reported.
Kent said he offered to shake hands with Hutchison, and Hutchison refused. They began to argue. Kent said Hutchison reached into his motorcycle saddlebags and began to approach Kent as he sat in his truck.
Kent said Hutchison was reaching into his vest and thought he would punch him or hit him with an object he couldn’t see. Kent said he decided to shoot at Hutchison with his handgun, records show.
Hutchison's wife then exited the clinic with a handgun and began pointing it at Kent, records show.
Kent told Preciado he fired four or five rounds from the handgun, then shot about 12 rounds from the AR-15.
Kent said he did not intend to shoot Hutchison's wife but only wanted to scare her so she wouldn’t shoot at him.
“Mr. Kent stated he did not intend to kill anybody,” Preciado wrote in his report. “Mr. Kent stated if he wanted to kill Mr. Hutchison, he would have shot him in the head or between the eyes. Mr. Kent stated he has great marksmanship and would not miss if he intended to kill Mr. Hutchison.”
Kent stated he was going to stay at the scene until an ambulance arrived, but he was afraid of being shot.
Kent said he left and tried to turn himself in at the Tucumcari Police Department, but no one was in the lobby. He left, and Russell stopped him on First Street.
When Preciado asked why Kent didn’t drive away before shooting at Hutchison, “he stated he had every right to be there for his doctor’s appointment.”
Kent said he did not see any weapons in Hutchison’s possession, but added he is twice his size and half his age, records show.
Investigators found several spent casings about 25 yards from the front door of the clinic. They also found penetration marks from bullets in the front brick wall of the building.
Kent appeared before Tucumcari Magistrate Judge Noreen Hendrickson on Tuesday morning.
Kent said he didn’t understand why he was being charged.
Deputy District Attorney Mandana Shoushtari said she would request a pretrial detention motion to keep Kent in jail until his case goes to trial.
Citing indigency, Kent requested a public defender to represent him in court.