International News: Armed boys ages 7 and 9, in a gun standoff with law enforcement
A video footage released by the Sheriff’s Office depicts two children, aged seven and nine, attempting to evade apprehension by law enforcement while wielding a loaded handgun. The children engaged in a firearm standoff with law enforcement authorities.
They are observed standing behind an air-conditioning unit while officers make earnest efforts to de-escalate the situation. Drone footage captures the boys surveying their surroundings in an attempt to evade capture, and neither appears to comprehend the seriousness of the circumstances.
The boys, clad in Minecraft and Star Wars-themed pajamas, are seen tightly huddled around an object while one of them grips a firearm. Bodycam footage from the deputies in the vicinity reveals their urgent pleas to the children to lower the weapon.
“Put it down babe,” one officer can be heard saying.
“You’re not in trouble but you have to put it down and come and talk to us.”
After a brief yet intense deliberation, the officers resolved to discharge two rubber bullets at the minors who continued to maintain their grip on the firearm. Ultimately, the youths were encircled and apprehended by law enforcement personnel. This alarming event occurred on February 16 and has been presented by the Sheriff’s Office as part of “a new initiative aimed at addressing significant service deficiencies within the community.”
The two boys were not arrested – a decision that Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) has looked to defend.
“This case illustrates the complex intersection of juvenile crime, mental health, and public safety,” Sheriff John Allen said.
“We are taking important steps to close service gaps and expand our ability to work with juveniles involved in firearms or violent crimes.”
No charges have been filed against the boys, and they have not been removed from their residence, as reported by the Albuquerque Journal. However, the firearm depicted in the video has been confiscated. Allen stated that officers had been summoned to their households numerous times prior to the standoff captured on video due to ongoing issues involving the boys and their families, as noted by the publication. The means by which the boys acquired the firearm remains unclear.
A New Mexico sheriff’s office is defending its decision not to arrest two young boys.
“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.”
“Children are our future, and we know one side is going to say, ‘Lock them in jail.’ They’re 7 and 9 years old,” Allen added.
“I told you before, numerous times in numerous interviews, that I understand the frontal lobe.”
A member of the department’s behavioural health unit told Fox News they are “providing every recourse possible to assist the children involved”.
The office added the drone had “allowed deputies to secure the area swiftly and safely, ultimately preventing a potential deadly force encounter with the juveniles”.