New Mexico Deputies Fired After Disturbing Bunny Incident
Four deputies in New Mexico were fired following a year-long investigation into a video that showed them mistreating a baby bunny. The footage sparked outrage as it depicted the deputies playing with and teasing the small animal.
Deputy Alejandro Gomez, the 28-year-old leading actor in the video, can be seen threatening a colleague with a taser before he throws the rabbit onto a police cruiser. Alongside him, three other unnamed deputies who were part of the incident have also lost their jobs, according to Grant County Sheriff Villanueva.
Villanueva avoided delving into specifics regarding “personal issues” related to the case.
The video that gained attention in July shows the four deputies passing around a baby rabbit, which is surprisingly small, almost the size of a grapefruit they found on the road.
While two of the deputies remain off-camera, they can be heard laughing and commenting as the bunny moves about, clearly enjoying the scene.
Gomez, however, was intent on prolonging the amusement. He pointed the taser at a colleague and demanded the rabbit be given to him. Despite their obvious reservations about Gomez’s intentions, his colleagues hesitated, but he just smiled.
“I won’t throw it,” he assured them.
One deputy challenged him, asking, “Do you swear to God?” to which Gomez responded, “We can’t do that.” Eventually, the aide with the rabbit tried to walk away, but Gomez persisted, insisting he wanted to hold it.
“Don’t kill him,” the aide cautioned as he reluctantly handed over the bunny.
Once Gomez had the rabbit, he laughed and tossed the poor creature onto the cruiser, an action that seemed to disappoint one of the other men.
Following the release of the troubling video, Gomez was placed on leave and faced charges, including four counts of assault on a police officer and one count of extreme animal cruelty. While the other three deputies weren’t suspended, they all lost their positions, including the one who initially reported the incident.
