Drone footage shows New Mexico deputies disarm children handling a loaded gun

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The sheriff in New Mexico’s most populous county is crediting his department’s drone program for helping disarm two children and prevent what could have been a worse outcome.

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.