Deputy Charged After Sick Bunny Video Goes Viral

A Viral Video, a Broken Trust: How One Night in Grant County Changed Everything

By Elizabeth Molner | Inside the Crime

GRANT COUNTY, NEW MEXICO — When a cell phone video began circulating on social media in early 2025, few could have predicted the storm it would unleash in this quiet southwestern county. The footage, shot on a dark roadside near Hacha, seemed at first to capture nothing more than a group of sheriff’s deputies on a routine overnight shift. But within minutes, it became clear that something was very wrong.

The video’s grainy images and muffled voices documented a moment that would ultimately lead to multiple firings, criminal charges, and a reckoning within law enforcement. It showed a group of deputies—two, their sergeant, and a corporal—engaged in horseplay with a baby rabbit. What happened next was both shocking and deeply disturbing: Deputy Alejandro Gomez was seen throwing the rabbit against a truck, killing it instantly. The incident, witnessed and recorded by Sergeant Brandon Reese, was not only an act of cruelty but also the catalyst for a deeper investigation into the conduct and culture of the Grant County Sheriff’s Department.

A Night That Changed Everything

The events of August 16, 2024, began innocently enough. The deputies were working a routine overnight shift, patrolling the rural roads that wind through Grant County, a region known more for its quiet landscapes than for controversy. When they came across a baby rabbit frozen in the headlights, the mood was light. The men joked and bantered—”Let him hold it,” “You’re going to kill it,” “I won’t throw it, swear to God”—but the situation quickly escalated.

What the video didn’t show, but what would later be revealed in interviews and testimony, was the tension simmering beneath the surface. As Deputy Marcus Salace later explained to investigators, this was not an isolated incident. It was part of a troubling pattern of behavior that included threats, horseplay with weapons, and a disregard for boundaries.

The Whistleblower Steps Forward

While most of the deputies returned to their duties as if nothing had happened, Salace could not shake what he had witnessed. Five months after the incident, he found himself in an interrogation room, recounting not only the events of that night but other troubling episodes he had experienced on the job.

Salace’s account began with an earlier incident on August 5, 2024. He described how Deputy Gomez had grabbed his unlocked phone and run down the hallway, prompting Salace to chase after him. When he caught up, Gomez pointed a taser directly at him—a move Salace dismissed as horseplay but which, in hindsight, seemed more menacing. Later, Gomez pointed his duty-issued handgun at Salace’s chest, again in the context of “messing around.”

For Salace, these were not isolated moments but part of a broader culture of inappropriate behavior. He told investigators, “I’m tired of the horseplay on this crew. I just want to get off—can you move me to dayshift or something?” His official complaint, filed in September, detailed his concerns and the lack of response from supervisors.

The Culture of Silence

As the investigation unfolded, it became clear that not everyone was willing to cooperate. Corporal Caesar Torres, when questioned, invoked his rights under the Gary Act and refused to talk without legal representation. Others cited confidentiality agreements and feared repercussions from the sheriff’s department. The investigators, frustrated by the lack of transparency, emphasized that they were conducting a criminal investigation, not an internal review.

The tension between administrative procedures and criminal accountability became a central theme. “They were worried about the agency,” one investigator noted, “not about getting counsel. Instead of saying, ‘Hey, I feel a little uncomfortable talking, I’ll get a lawyer,’ they just cited the sheriff’s department.”

The Arrest and Aftermath

When the cell phone video surfaced online, the public reaction was swift and unforgiving. Deputy Alejandro Gomez was placed on leave, and two weeks later, detectives returned to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office to arrest him. Gomez was charged with four counts of aggravated assault upon a peace officer with a deadly weapon and one count of extreme cruelty to animals.

In a scene captured by body cameras, Gomez was led away in handcuffs, his wife notified of the charges. The officers assured her that Gomez would be treated with respect, but the damage was done.

By August 2025, the Grant County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Gomez was no longer employed there. But he was not the only casualty. Three other men, including whistleblower Salace, were also fired. The decision sent shockwaves through the department and the community, raising questions about accountability, retaliation, and the true cost of speaking out.

A Pattern of Red Flags

Salace’s testimony painted a picture of a workplace where boundaries were routinely crossed and dangerous behavior was normalized. The use of tasers and firearms as props in horseplay, the disregard for animal life, and the reluctance to intervene or report misconduct all pointed to systemic issues.

“I thought at some point my sergeant would step in, but nothing happened,” Salace told investigators. His decision to file a complaint was motivated not by a desire to get anyone in trouble, but by a sense of duty and frustration with the lack of action.

Legal and Administrative Hurdles

The investigation was complicated by a web of legal and administrative obstacles. Deputies cited the Gary Act, confidentiality agreements, and union protections to avoid giving statements. The state police, tasked with pursuing criminal charges, struggled to navigate these barriers while respecting the deputies’ rights.

Ultimately, the case was bound over, meaning a judge found sufficient evidence for it to move forward. But the process exposed deep divisions within the department and highlighted the challenges of holding law enforcement accountable.

The Broader Implications

The Grant County incident is not just a story about one night or one group of deputies. It raises important questions about the culture of policing, the mechanisms for reporting misconduct, and the protections afforded to whistleblowers.

For the community, the video was a wake-up call—a reminder that those entrusted with public safety must be held to the highest standards of conduct. For law enforcement agencies across the country, it underscored the need for transparency, oversight, and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths.

Inside the Crime: A Call for Accountability

As the legal process unfolds, Inside the Crime will continue to follow the story, providing updates on the charges, the outcomes, and the broader impact on Grant County and beyond. The case serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of complacency, the importance of integrity, and the power of one voice to spark change.

Stay tuned for the next installment, where we delve deeper into the legal proceedings, the community’s response, and the lessons learned from a night that shattered trust and forced a reckoning in Grant County.