I have long supported law enforcement. They are the first line of defense for people against crime and violence.
However, when one of the “good guys” starts acting like a bad guy, that really worries me. The Rio Grande SUN reported a traffic stop (“State Police Probe Off-duty Deputy’s,” Aug. 15, 2019, page A1) by Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Barnes that looked pretty violent and excessive, especially after his recent conduct with a special needs student at Española Valley High School.
Even worse, there is a photo showing Barnes threatening to arrest a reporter in a public setting. This story is very familiar and it looks a lot like one involving another person associated with the Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office in the past, that being a former sheriff currently sitting in a federal prison in Texas.
Sheriff James Lujan has a duty to protect us from criminals and thugs. It’s unfortunate and scary that we have to worry about unethical and potential criminal behavior from employees under his command.
James Ramirez
Ohkay Owingeh