ALBUQUERQUE, NM - Today, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico and civil rights law firm Kennedy Kennedy & Ives announced that they had reached a 4 million dollar settlement with Bernalillo County on behalf of the family of Elisha Lucero. Lucero, 28, was killed on July 21, 2019 when Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) deputies shot her 21 times. BCSO deputies were responding to a 911 call from family members who were concerned about her mental health and safety.
The following statement may be attributed to ACLU of New Mexico Legal Director Leon Howard:
“The death of Elisha Lucero at the hands of BCSO deputies in 2019 was both tragic and preventable. We remain committed to working with Lucero’s family to ensure that BCSO implements commonsense policing reforms that will help prevent other needless deaths moving forward. No one in Bernalillo County should ever fear that calling emergency services for a loved one in crisis will result in that loved one’s death. Furthermore, we believe it is past time for BCSO and other law enforcement agencies statewide to commit to basic transparency and accountability by outfitting their officers with body worn cameras. We look forward to working with Lucero’s family to honor her memory by making this a reality."
