March 2024. Blues Vol 40 No. 3

AROUND THE COUNTRY LAS

AROUND THE COUNTRY LAS CRUCES, NM. Las Cruces Officer Jonah Hernandez was stabbed to death by a homeless man while responding to a trespassing call. LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KFOX14/ CBS4) — Las Cruces officials provided more information on the deadly stabbing of Officer Jonah Hernandez that happened on Sunday. Las Cruces Police Department Chief Jeremy Story identified the man who stabbed Hernandez to death as 29-year-old Armando Silva. Story said Silva was a homeless person and said he had a long list of violent crimes and mental illnesses. The incident happened when Hernandez responded to a trespassing call Sunday around 5 p.m. on the 300 block of South Valley Drive, near Amador Avenue. Story said when Hernandez arrived Silva attacked him with a large kitchen knife. “For no reason whatsoever, Silva killed Officer Hernandez,” Story said. Based on their preliminary information, police said Silva was shot and killed by a person who witnessed part of the incident. The witness got a gun from their vehicle. Story said Silva tried to attack the witness when the witness fired at least one gunshot. Silva died from his injuries. “Officer Jonah Hernandez was a compassionate and dedicated officer who was out doing his job while most of us were watching the Super Bowl. Jonah was attacked while making contact with the subject of a trespassing call. This sudden and unprovoked attack took the life of an officer, a husband, a father, brother, son, a friend, and a great young man,” said Story. “Silva had a long history of violent crime and mental illness,” said Story. “This is just one more agonizing reminder of the brokenness of the New Mexico justice system,” said Story. “On every call, there is potential for tragedy for [our officers],” said Story The witness used the fallen officer’s radio to call for help, according to police. Hernandez was rushed to MountainView Regional Medical Center where he died from his injuries. Police said Hernandez responded to the scene after the property owner called 911 to report someone was trespassing on his property. OFFICER JONAH HERNANDEZ Police said Hernandez was a two-year veteran of LCPD but originally from El Paso. He was from El Monte, Calif., and grew up in El Paso, Texas. He was a 2006 graduate of Americas High School. Hernandez served as a Las Cruces Police Department officer since June 2022. Hernandez is survived by a wife and two sons. “The Las Cruces Police Department will get through this together,” said Story An LCPD spokesperson confirmed this is the first line of duty for the department. SAVES LIVES THE #1 NON-LETHAL TOOL FOR DAILY PATROL • CORRECTIONS • AREA DENIAL Why Adopt the PepperBall Non-Lethal System? • PepperBall saves lives, improves officer safety and morale and strengthens community relations. LIVE-X LIVE-MAXX LIVE-X VXR PEPPERBALL PROJECTILES • More accurate than the competition • Industry leading in duration and dispersion • Non-flammable, pharmaceutical grade VKS PRO • The ultimate non-lethal launcher INERT VXR • Dual feed system, uses either high-accuracy VXR or standard round projectiles • Adjustable folding foregrip; M-LOK Handguard TRP • Low profile and lightweight • Reliable and accurate • Uses either high-accuracy VXR or standard round projectiles • When used in daily patrol, PepperBall decreases agency liability risk by lowering the probability of an officer using lethal force. • Agencies can equip their patrol divisions for a fraction of the cost of investigating and resolving other force methods. • 3x PAVA payload per shot • PepperBall gives agencies versatility: one launcher can • Effective for up to a 10 ft distance; refillable address many different scenarios. • NEW for 2024 - the BLAST-GB Glassbreaker! 40 The Blues - March ‘24 The Blues - March ‘24 41 CHECK OUT OUR NEW PRODUCTS AT PEPPERBALL.COM BLAST • Ideal for close range use by Law Enforcement or Corrections © Copyright 2024 PepperBall