Deputy Sheriff James Francis McGrane Jr., 38, was killed in the line of duty during a routine traffic stop on March 22, 2006, in Tijeras, New Mexico. The stop on Highway 337 occurred at 12:46 AM; as he approached the vehicle the driver shot him twice and fled in a white pickup. Witnesses reported hearing the two gunshots and seeing the pickup leave, and Deputy McGrane died at the scene.

The shooter was later identified as a parolee with a substantial criminal history. He was captured in Juarez, Mexico, on April 3, 2006, and was later convicted of McGrane’s murder plus tampering with evidence and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. On June 4, 2010, the shooter received a 43.5-year sentence; an additional 28-year sentence for an unrelated 2005 murder was imposed on August 4, 2012, to run after the first term.

McGrane had 13 years and six months of combined service with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department, New Mexico State Police and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; he served three years with the sheriff’s department. He is survived by his wife, parents and sister. A black granite memorial, a four-foot metal cross at the scene and a tree at Roosevelt Middle School were dedicated in his honor, and an annual Officer James McGrane Jr. Street Survival Training was established. Anyone with memories of Deputy McGrane or information about that night is asked to share what they know.