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The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office recently released drone
and body camera footage showing a tense standoff in February
with two young brothers — ages 7 and 9. The deputies are heard
repeatedly urging the boys to drop the gun.
“Put it down, baby,” one of them says as other deputies say they
need to keep talking to the boys.
Deputies used a non-lethal round to distract the boys before
moving in. At one point, Sheriff John Allen said one of the boys
raised the gun and pulled the trigger, but it malfunctioned.
Allen said the drone provided a critical vantage point to help
deputies assess the situation in real time, allowing them to
safely and swiftly secure the area.
No charges have been filed. Authorities have instead been
working since the standoff to get the family access to trauma
therapy, medical services, behavioral support and even prepaid
grocery cards.
Prior to responding that day to a report of children playing
with a loaded handgun, deputies had been called to the home at
least 50 times for issues with the boys and their family.
Allen used the Feb. 16 incident as an example of the ongoing
challenges law enforcement is facing.
“This case illustrates the complex intersection of juvenile
crime, mental health and public safety,” Allen said in a
statement issued Thursday. “We are taking important steps to
close service gaps and expand our ability to work with juveniles
involved in firearms or violent crimes.”
New Mexico has had several cases of violence involving young
suspects, including a fatal hit-and-run in Albuquerque and a
shooting in Las Cruces in March that killed three and wounded 15
others. Prosecutors, law enforcement and Republican lawmakers
have been asking Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to call
a special legislative session to address the state's crime
problem.
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