A video recorded on a rural path in New Mexico has triggered outrage, criminal charges and the dismissal of four sheriff’s deputies. The footage shows former Grant County site, Alejandro Gomez throws a babybin into the side of a patrol vehicle that kills the animal.
A deputy in New Mexico killed a babybin during a shift overnight.
The incident on a dirt road
The event took place during a shift overnight near Hachita. Deputies stopped when they discovered a small rabbit on the road. According to The Daily Mail and the Legal documents, a deputy tried to move the animal to safety when Gomez demanded to keep it ,. His colleagues opposed fear of the rabbit’s welfare.
“You’re going to kill it,” a deputy said allegedly.
The court’s documents reveal that Gomez escalated the situation by pointing a taser against his colleague deputy and forced him to hand over the rabbit. Gomez swore he would not hurt the animal, according to Unilad, but moments later he smiled at the camera and threw the rabbit with such a force that it hit the patrol car with an audible exit. Another Deputy Deputy Who Seeing The Damages Shot Shot Rabbit To End his Suffering, Said the Statement
The rabbit died of the effect against the patrol vehicle.
A pattern of threatening behavior
The death of the rabbit was not an isolated display of aggression. The court’s records reported by Police1 show that Gomez had previously threatened the same deputy when he first pointed to a taser to him during a separate quarrel. Later, the same night as the rabbit’s killing, Gomez allegedly pointed his gun to the deputy and claimed he tested his mounted light.
New Mexico State Police confirmed that Gomez was indicted for four counts of sharpened assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer and a count of extreme cruelty against animals, a fourth degree crime.
Photo: YouTube / Albuquerque Journal
Another deputy shot the rabbit to prevent further suffering.
Fallen inside the sheriff’s office
Originally, Grant County Sheriff’s Office took a little step despite a deputy who filed a report. According to the Albuquerque Journal, there was little to no internal discipline. Only after the state police were warned were criminal charges filed.
The case gained momentum when the disturbing video appeared on social media and drew widespread condemnation. Tens of thousands saw the recordings and required accountability.
Sheriff Raul Villanueva confirmed to KAT that four deputies involved in the incident, including the one trying to stop Gomez and reported him, were fired in August 2025.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGKGYJ3-POI
Public indignation and questions about accountability
The incident has ignited anger far beyond Grant County. For animal defenders, the rabbit’s death highlighted a troubled culture where cruelty could unfold among law enforcement without immediate consequences.
Daily Mail noted that Gomez’s lawyer has trivialized the case and said, “We don’t think he was doing anything wrong, of course.”
For many observers, this defense only elaborated on the concerns of accountability in the legal system.
A broken trust
What began as a meeting with a fragile wild animal has ended up in shame for four deputies and a crime case against one of them. For residents and animal defenders, the image of a baby’s life taken in such an eerie act has become symbolic of deeper failure.
As the case continues through the courts, questions remain: Why was a deputy’s early report ignored and why did it take a viral video to force accountability? Currently, a lost life has left lasting damage to public confidence in those who were sworn to protect.