A video is going viral on social media showing two armed young boys, ages seven and nine, in a standoff with New Mexico police in the US. The footage shows police officers repeatedly urging the boys to drop the weapon before using non-lethal rounds to distract them and take the loaded handgun from their possession. The incident happened in February, according to the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office, but the footage was released recently.
The Sheriff of Bernalillo, New Mexico's most populous county, credited his department's drone program for helping disarm the two children and prevent any tragedy.
The dramatic footage shows deputies negotiating with the boys as they passed the firearm back and forth between them. "Put it down, baby," one of the deputies could be heard saying, as the children hid behind an object placed on the ground.
At this point, the deputies fired a non-lethal weapon to distract the children and moved closer to them before disarming them.
According to Sheriff John Allen, at one point, one of the boys raised the gun and pulled the trigger, but thankfully, it malfunctioned. He also noted that the drone provided a critical vantage point to help deputies assess the situation in real time, allowing them to safely and swiftly secure the area.
It is unclear how the two boys came into possession of the gun, but police said no charges were filed against them. Authorities have instead been working since the standoff to get the family access to trauma therapy, medical services, behavioural support and even prepaid grocery cards, according to a report by Associated Press.
Prior to responding that day to a report of children playing with a loaded handgun, police had reportedly been called to the said house at least 50 times over issues related to the two children and their family.
"This case illustrates the complex intersection of juvenile crime, mental health and public safety," Allen said in a statement issued Thursday.
"We are taking important steps to close service gaps and expand our ability to work with juveniles involved in firearms or violent crimes."
New Mexico has had several cases of violence involving young suspects, including a fatal hit-and-run in Albuquerque and a shooting in Las Cruces in March that killed three and wounded 15 others. Prosecutors, law enforcement and Republican lawmakers have been asking Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to call a special legislative session to address the state's crime problem.
