The National Police Association accused New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez (D) of targeting a Las Cruces police officer and turning him into a “political sacrifice” for the anti-cop movement.
The NPA described Torrez as a “George Soros backed” prosecutor who is criminally charging an officer for conduct that the police department “explicitly authorized.” As a result, the association referred the AG on Wednesday to the Department of Justice, requesting the agency open a federal civil rights probe.
‘If this continues unchecked, the thin blue line will crumble under fear and hesitation.’
On August 2, 2022, Officer Brad Lunsford and his partner responded to a theft in progress at a Las Cruces gas station.
When they arrived at the scene, the officers determined that the suspect in the theft should be detained. However, the suspect allegedly began resisting arrest, resulting in a violent struggle between the three men. The altercation ultimately led to Lunsford discharging his firearm, fatally shooting the suspect.
“The suspect, Presley Eze, violently resisted arrest, knocked Officer Lunsford’s partner to the ground, and seized his department-issued taser. Faced with the threat of serious harm or death to himself and others, Officer Lunsford discharged his firearm to neutralize the danger. Investigations concluded that Lunsford acted appropriately and within department guidelines,” the NPA stated.
Yet, despite the investigations’ findings, Torrez indicted Lunsford for voluntary manslaughter.
Torrez called Lunsford’s actions “an egregious abuse of power” and “yet another example of poor police tactics resulting in an unjustifiable use of force to subdue an individual resisting arrest for the commission of a minor crime.”
Matt Chandler, Lunsford’s attorney, contended that his client’s right to a fair trial was violated after two jurors were improperly replaced with alternates.
“Every citizen is entitled to a fair and impartial jury,” Chandler stated. “In this case, we believe there was a direct violation of that right. Two jurors, who had been vetted and selected by the defense, were suddenly removed and replaced by alternate jurors. That alone is enough to call this verdict into question and demand a new trial.”
In March, the judge admitted there were errors in jury assignment.
“I’m either going to grant the new trial, or I’m going to deny it and it’s going to get appealed,” the judge said. “Those are the options I believe are on the table right now.”
In a Wednesday letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, the NPA argued that Torrez’s “actions do indeed suggest that the pursuit of Officer Lunsford through the grand jury process satisfied a political ideology masquerading behind the principles of justice.”
The NPA requested that the DOJ investigate whether Torrez committed constitutional violations and civil rights abuses in his pursuit of Lunsford.
“No officer should fear that he or she will be offered up as a political sacrifice or in furtherance of political messaging when he or she has committed no wrong,” the NPA told Bondi. “Likewise, no prosecutor should believe he can target someone with impunity for the sake of burnishing his own credentials or appeasing a crowd.”
Retired Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith, a spokesperson for the NPA, stated, “This is not justice — it is persecution.”
“Officer Lunsford followed his training, protected his partner, and survived a life-threatening encounter. Now, he faces prison not because he broke the law, but because he wore a badge,” she added.
“This case goes beyond one man,” Smith continued. “It sends a chilling message to every officer in America: Even if you follow department policy, even if you act to save a life, you may be sacrificed to score political points. If this continues unchecked, the thin blue line will crumble under fear and hesitation.”
Torrez’s office and the DOJ did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
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News, New mexico, Raul torrez, Raúl torrez, National police association, Npa, Department of justice, Doj, Pam bondi, Anti-police, Brad lunsford, Las cruces, Presley eze, Public safety, Politics
