Teen holding airsoft gun dead in officer-involved shooting

EL PASO, Texas ( KTSM ) –  An officer-involved shooting that took the life of a teenager is under investigation, the New Mexico State Police Department announced Thursday.

On Tuesday, June 25, 2024, agents with the Investigations Bureau learned that at around 10:45 p.m., an Otero County Sheriff’s Office deputy was conducting a welfare check on a man walking in the median on U.S. Highway 70 near mile marker 240. He was later identified as 17-year-old Elijah Hadley.

According to NMSP, Hadley was holding an airsoft gun and pointed it at the deputy, who fired “at least” one round from his duty weapon, striking Hadley. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

The New Mexico State Police Department declined to identify the uninjured deputy involved in this incident, adding that the Investigations Bureau is “working to independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews.”

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