‘He never let bumps in the road defeat him’
LAS CRUCES — Jose Ismael Chavez was “the perfect example of the ultimate success story in life,” Hatch Police Chief James “Trey” Gilmer wrote in a letter read aloud at Chavez’s funeral on Sunday.
“He never let bumps in the road defeat him or deflate him,” according to Gilmer’s letter.
Chavez, who was shot dead in the line of duty Aug. 12, was born in Mexico and immigrated to the United States about a decade ago. He wanted to serve in law enforcement and was told by the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office that he needed a GED and U.S. citizenship, according to sheriff’s spokeswoman Kelly Jameson.
He achieved both. He attended Doña Ana Community College and completed the sheriff’s academy in July 2013. Soon after, he interviewed in Hatch.
Gilmer’s letter, which Jameson read aloud with Gilmer by her side, described Chavez’s “infectious smile that was unshakeable.” He loved animals and gladly took on animal control duties in addition to his regular patrols.
“He had a knack for catching dogs and cats without stressing the animals or getting bit,” the letter said. “He had an affinity for animals that ran deep.”
Hatch Mayor Andy Nuñez said, “practically everyone in Hatch knew him because he was that kind of officer.”
In a moment of humor, the letter read aloud described a man so physically fit and careful with his appearance that when his police unit got a flat tire he drove the vehicle all the way back to the department because “he didn’t want to get dirty changing a tire on the side of the road.” His fellow officers used to joke that Chavez wasn’t that muscular; it was only that “he wore his shirts two sizes too small.”
Chavez was described during the funeral service by officiant Nick Miller as “having two goals in life: to make something of himself and serve his community.” Miller added: “Jose Chavez has done his duty.”
He was a man committed to love, Las Cruces Diocese Bishop Oscar Cantú said.
“The final actions of Officer Jose Ismael Chavez were actions of love,” Cantú said. “His last words were, ‘Tell my mother that I love her. Tell my family that I love them.’ In his final moments, he was thinking of love.”