By Frost McGahey
Investigative Reporter
Sheriff Raul Villanueva, who is in charge of deputies.In the Affidavit for Arrest Warrant for Grant County Deputy Sheriff Alejandro Gomez, it details how he killed a baby rabbit. The complaint was filed by another Sheriff’s deputy, Marcus Salas, who did it because northing was being done by the Sheriff’s Department.
On August 16th, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. Deputy Salas decided to work overtime in the Hachita area. He learned that Deputy Gomez, Corporal Torres and Sergeant Brandon Reese were also going to work overtime.
They drove to the area and were on a 2-track dirt road in three different patrol vehicles. Deputy Salas was leading in his patrol vehicle; Reese and Torres were in a 2-man unit, and Gomez was in his patrol vehicle in the rear.
Deputy Salas saw a baby rabbit on the roadway and stopped because the rabbit was not running away. He got out of his vehicle and approached the rabbit to scare it off, but the rabbit did not run off because it was afraid. Salas picked up the rabbit and was excited to hold a wild, baby rabbit as he loves animals. It was his intention to release the animal after he took a few photos.
The other deputies stopped, exited their vehicles, and hovered around him laughing loudly. They also took photos/videos with their phones. Deputy Gomez asked for the rabbit, but Deputy Salas told him no because he felt Gomez would hurt the animal.
Salas walked away from everyone and began to set the rabbit down when Gomez drew his taser and pointed it at him. The taser was armed with the light/taser fixed on Deputy Salas’s body. Salas believed Gomez would use it on him so to deescalate the situation, he handed him the rabbit and asked him if he would hurt the rabbit. Gomez said no.
Suddenly, Deputy Gomez turned and threw the rabbit into the side of Sala’s patrol vehicle with such force that it fatally wounded it. Deputy Salas dispatched the animal as it lay on the ground dying so it would not suffer.
Deputy Salas was upset about the incident and even more upset it was witnessed by two supervisors who did nothing to intervene. Salas reported the event to internal affairs, but the investigation resulted in very little disciplinary action being taken. Deputy Gomez is still with the Grant County Sheriff’s office.
The video is from Deputy Salas’s phone and is approximately 65 seconds long. It begins with Deputy Gomez and Corporal Torres standing near the back of a Grant County Sheriff’s vehicle. Corporal Torres was holding the rabbit, and Deputy Gomez was standing to his right.
- Sergeant Reese told them to let Deputy Gomez hold the rabbit.
- Again Sergeant Reese told them to let Deputy Gomez hold the rabbit. Deputy Salas took the rabbit from Torres and tells them, “Don’t throw it.”
- One of the supervisors told Deputy Salas to let Gomez hold the rabbit.
- Deputy Gomez asked Deputy Salas to let him pet the rabbit, and Deputy Salas says, “No, dude.”
- Deputy Salas shouted, “You’re going to f***ing kill it,” to Deputy Gomez. Gomez responded, “I won’t throw it. I swear.”
- Deputy Salas began to walk away with the rabbit.
- Deputy Gomez drew a Taser and pointed it at Deputy Salas’s side where there is little protection. Gomez shouts, “Give it to me now.”
- Once more Sergeant Reese told Deputy Salas to let Gomez hold the rabbit while laughing hysterically. Salas was hunching over and lowering the rabbit to the ground.
- Deputy Salas told Gomez that, “he better not kill it” and handed the rabbit to Gomez.
- Deputy Gomez got the rabbit in his right hand and smiled towards his supervisors who were laughing hysterically
- Deputy Gomez suddenly threw the rabbit into the side of the parked Grant County Sheriff’s vehicle. A loud “thud” was heard as it struck the side of patrol vehicle.
- Deputy Salas can be heard exclaiming, “damn” while Sergeant Reese and Corporal Torres continue to laugh.
Observations from Video – Justin Blacklock, Agent, New Mexico State Police, who filed the Affidavit for Arrest Warrant
Deputy Salas was instructed by Sergeant Reese 7 times to hand the rabbit to Deputy Gomez during the 65 second video. The supervisors took no action to intervene in the situation
To be continued….
Case # M-19-FR-2025-24
