Latest news with #SheriffJohnAllen
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
Boys, ages 7 and 9, seen in armed standoff receiving assistance from deputies
A New Mexico sheriff's office is defending its decision not to arrest two young boys, ages 7 and 9, seen in drone footage in an armed standoff with deputies. Video released Thursday by the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) shows the two boys dressed in Minecraft and Star Wars-themed pajamas standing behind a covered air-conditioning unit and carrying a loaded handgun. In the nearly six minutes of footage shared, the children are seen looking around as if they are trying to avoid detection and capture. Eventually, the boys are surrounded and detained by deputies. "This case illustrates the complex intersection of juvenile crime, mental health, and public safety," Sheriff John Allen said in a statement. "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 Supreme Court Bans Judge After Alleged Tda Member Arrested At Home The incident took place on Feb. 16 but was highlighted on Thursday while BCSO showcased the work of its behavioral health unit and "a new initiative designed to address critical service gaps in the community," according to a press release. Read On The Fox News App Allen said his department had been called to the home of the incident dozens of times prior to the standoff due to problems with the boys and their families, the Albuquerque Journal reported, adding that it is not known how the boys got the gun. New Mexico Judge Resigns After Alleged Tda Member Arrested At His Home The newspaper said no charges have been filed against the boys and that they have not been removed from their home, although the gun seen in the video was seized. "Children are our future, and we know one side is going to say, 'Lock them in jail.' They're 7 and 9 years old. I told you before, numerous times in numerous interviews, that I understand the frontal lobe," Allen said, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Members of the department's behavioral health unit are in contact with the boys' families "providing every recourse possible to assist the children involved," a BCSO sergeant told Fox News Digital. BCSO said its drone "allowed deputies to secure the area swiftly and safely, ultimately preventing a potential deadly force encounter with the juveniles."Original article source: Boys, ages 7 and 9, seen in armed standoff receiving assistance from deputies
Fox News
11-05-2025
- Fox News
Boys, ages 7 and 9, seen in armed standoff receiving assistance from deputies
A New Mexico sheriff's office is defending its decision not to arrest two young boys, ages 7 and 9, seen in drone footage in an armed standoff with deputies. Video released Thursday by the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) shows the two boys dressed in Minecraft and Star Wars-themed pajamas standing behind a covered air-conditioning unit and carrying a loaded handgun. In the nearly six minutes of footage shared, the children are seen looking around as if they are trying to avoid detection and capture. Eventually, the boys are surrounded and detained by deputies. "This case illustrates the complex intersection of juvenile crime, mental health, and public safety," Sheriff John Allen said in a statement. "We are taking important steps to close service gaps and expand our ability to work with juveniles involved in firearms or violent crimes." The incident took place on Feb. 16 but was highlighted on Thursday while BCSO showcased the work of its behavioral health unit and "a new initiative designed to address critical service gaps in the community," according to a press release. Allen said his department had been called to the home of the incident dozens of times prior to the standoff due to problems with the boys and their families, the Albuquerque Journal reported, adding that it is not known how the boys got the gun. The newspaper said no charges have been filed against the boys and that they have not been removed from their home, although the gun seen in the video was seized. "Children are our future, and we know one side is going to say, 'Lock them in jail.' They're 7 and 9 years old. I told you before, numerous times in numerous interviews, that I understand the frontal lobe," Allen said, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Members of the department's behavioral health unit are in contact with the boys' families "providing every recourse possible to assist the children involved," a BCSO sergeant told Fox News Digital. BCSO said its drone "allowed deputies to secure the area swiftly and safely, ultimately preventing a potential deadly force encounter with the juveniles."
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Yahoo
Bernalillo Sheriff details armed standoff with boys, 7 and 9
May 10—Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office deputies ordered the suspects to drop the handgun. They tried to de-escalate the situation and discuss options among themselves, like firing a less-lethal round or rushing the armed duo. Over several minutes, two brothers, ages 7 and 9, passed the fully loaded firearm back and forth. The boys, clad in pajamas, sometimes wrestled with the gun, as if it was nothing more than a doll. The deputies fired a less-lethal round to distract the boys, and one of them raised the gun and pulled the trigger. Sheriff John Allen said the gun malfunctioned, and had it gone off, "our deputies could have taken deadly force. That would not have gone well with anybody in the nation." During a briefing Thursday, Allen used the Feb. 16 incident — which he said would "shock the conscience of Bernalillo County" — to detail the steps BCSO's Behavioral Health Unit had taken to assist the family. The wraparound approach included everything from trauma therapy and parenting skills to grocery cards and rides to appointments. Prior to the incident, Allen said BCSO had been called to the home at least 50 times due to issues with the boys and their family. No charges have been filed against the children, who were detained safely, or the parent in the case. Deputy Deanna Aragon, a BCSO spokesperson, said the children have not been removed from the home, but the gun was seized. BCSO would not identify the boys, their parent, or where the incident occurred, she said, "out of respect for the family and to support ongoing efforts to connect them with the resources and assistance they need." BCSO also would not say how the children got the gun and were very vague about the circumstances. Allen said, however, that the boys "were taught how to use the firearm" and had learned the behavior they displayed that day. He said, down the road, they will look at criminal charges— like the Benny Hargrove law— for those involved. 'Our future' Allen said the first priority was to get the family help so the boys can succeed. "Children are our future, and we know one side is going to say, 'Lock them in jail.' They're 7 and 9 years old. I told you before, numerous times in numerous interviews, that I understand the frontal lobe," he said, referring to the lack of brain development and decision-making skills at that age. Allen, who has taken a tough stance against juvenile crime, said if the boys were several years older, "we'd probably be speaking differently and doing it the reverse route ... arresting people isn't the only way out of this crisis of juvenile crime ... You have to look at it from a bunch of different avenues and use the resources you have, and then criminal elements can come later." Behavioral Health Unit Clinical Manager Michael Lucero said the unit, which includes law enforcement, clinicians and paramedics, immediately went to the home to assist the family with "numerous issues they're experiencing" and got the boys psychiatric evaluations. Lucero said the unit takes a holistic approach, from considering medical conditions and traumas to safety concerns and quality-of-life issues. Even with all 13 Behavioral Health Unit members involved, he said they still ran into barriers along the way. Medicaid was denied to one boy for being too young, while they faced delays of up to six weeks for getting the boys into treatment and services. Lucero said they found workarounds to get the children and parent, who had an extensive history of trauma, the help they need — for the most part. "As you can imagine, if you're in crisis and you're suffering from major mental illness and possibly co-occurring disorders such as substance use, it's very difficult to navigate multiple systems," he said. "And we have highly educated, highly skilled people on this team, and it took all of us just to navigate multiple systems, and we are still running into barriers while working this case."
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Children with loaded gun disarmed by NM deputies
(NewsNation) — The sheriff's office in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, has released video from earlier this year in which deputies had a tense standoff with two brothers, aged 7 and 9, who were handling a loaded handgun. Sheriff John Allen joins 'Banfield' to talk about the type of juvenile justice reforms he says are needed in his state. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
