11-13-2024 3:29am

Opinion: Appeal to the County by Kathy Ramsey on the unresolved tragic death of Elijah Hadley.

Source New Mexico

Appeal to the County by Kathy Ramsey on the unresolved tragic death of Elijah Hadley.

I am deeply saddened that there seems to be little resolution in the investigation of teenager Elijah Hadley’s death in June of this year.

I was raised in communities where law enforcement was professional, community-based, as well as forthcoming in the face of tragedy. I generally believe being a LEO is probably one of the hardest jobs out there and I understand that an investigation about an officer shooting requires certain restrictions in information sharing.

But it has been 5 months. Area media (ABQ, Santa Fe, Indian Country, local news) is where we have had to turn for the deputy’s name and updates on the investigation. Local and state governing, law enforcement and judicial agencies say nothing.

What is seen by those of us who want local accountability are unprofessional statements made by the Sheriff to media outlets. We discover that the department does not have policies about appropriate use of force. Even as the State Police say citizens can learn the status of any deputy by calling the Sheriff’s Office, this information is refused.

Is county law enforcement up to standard?

In this climate of silence, rumors start - “police inspecting police, what do you expect?”, or “the deputy is back on duty, he is responding to calls”, or “is the delay because Elijah was a Mescalero Apache?”

I do not know what to make of these statements…. I only know the longer this goes on the more likely these assertions will take hold. Most importantly, the harder and more painful this will become for a grieving family, a community that is trying to understand, and for law enforcement officers.

As a retired healthcare professional with PTSD, I am not insensitive to the trauma for a deputy or even traumatic reactions to the shooting by others that will not ever be known. But, we also have a family and our community in pain and a rising doubt about whether it is safe to call for help.

This tragedy reaches far and wide and touches every parent. This effect should not be underestimated. It is the role of law enforcement leadership to assure public safety. We need not wait until final reports are issued or charges filed to be offered some assurances.

While I understand the county rightfully should have concerns about civil litigation, there needs to be some expression of humanity. There is EVERY reason for the Sheriff’s office and the County to express their condolences in an official statement to Elijah’s family, to Otero County, and to the Mescalero Apache Tribe.

This is a critical first step - no matter what may come next. An expression of compassion is the right thing to do. That it has not been done is unacceptable.

“We mourn the loss of Elijah Hadley.”

Opinion by Kathy Ramsey