Gallup man in jail after standoff

By Leslie Wood
Staff Writer

GALLUP — A 24-year-old Gallup man is in police custody this morning after engaging officers in a stand-off that ended with a foot pursuit.

Erin Toadlena-Pablo, a spokeswoman for the Gallup Police Department, said officers were dispatched to the 600 block of Jay Street at about 11 p.m. on Sunday in reference to a domestic dispute between Nelson Begay and his girlfriend.

When police arrived at the scene, Begay refused to open the residence's door and threatened to burn the home down. Toadlena-Pablo said Begay set the home's sofa on fire and then turned on the gas stove. Meanwhile, two women and an infant remained captive inside the residence as Begay and officers engaged in negotiations.

Throughout the talks, Begay allegedly tried to exit the residence through its back door. He eventually succeeded, Toadlena-Pablo said. Begay reportedly walked toward officers with a double-edged knife positioned behind his back and initially refused to drop the weapon until officers pulled out their department issued guns.

Begay allegedly dropped the knife, but continued to move "aggressively" toward officers. An officer then used a tazer gun on Begay.

Toadlena-Pablo said Begay began to run from officers with the tazer's probes still inside his body; however, he was later taken into custody and booked into the McKinley County Adult Detention Center at about 5 a.m.

Begay is facing charges that include false imprisonment, resisting and evading arrest, aggravated assault on a peace officer, battery on a household member, abandonment or abuse of a child and violation of a restraining order.

The two women and the baby were not seriously injured. Witnesses were interviewed this morning at the Gallup Police Department and Gallup firefighters extinguished the small blaze inside the residence. Toadlena-Pablo said Begay was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and illegal drugs at the time of his arrest.