Officers put their lives on line daily, and that’s no cliché

New Mexico State Police Officer Darian Jarrott put on his uniform, got in his patrol car and went out to do his job last Thursday, like every workday. On this day, it would involve assisting Homeland Security in a drug operation.

Jarrott, 28, the father of three with a fourth child on the way and a man known for his friendly smile, never made it back to his Lordsburg home after that shift. He was shot and killed by 39-year-old Omar Felix Cueva, a convicted felon with a history of drug offenses whom authorities said was on his way to do a drug deal. After he killed Jarrott near Akela on Interstate 10 east of Deming, Cueva fled, with police in pursuit, exchanging gunfire. He was shot and killed near Las Cruces — after he got out of his vehicle and wounded a Las Cruces police officer, who was airlifted to an El Paso hospital. Thankfully, the Las Cruces officer was treated and released. So we have only one fatality to mourn today among the ranks of those in New Mexico who do, in fact, put their lives on the line to protect and serve. The shootings prove that’s not just a cliché or talking point. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, last year was one of the deadliest in the nation’s history for law enforcement officers, with 264 federal, state, military, tribal and local officers dying in the line of duty, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. COVID-19 claimed 145 lives — a number that could still grow as additional cases are scrutinized.

The No. 2 cause of death: gunfire. Forty-eight officers were shot and killed on the job last year, at least 30 of them with handguns, 13 with rifles. Others have yet to be determined. The deadly incidents ranged from responding to domestic calls (seven) to investigating a suspicious person or activity (11) to attempting an arrest (six). The list goes on. Four died responding to an in-progress robbery or burglary, three were killed during traffic stops and two were killed while serving warrants. On average, the fallen officer last year was 47 years old with at least 17 years service, leaving behind two children.

So far this year, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 20 officers have died in the line of duty. Eight of those are firearms-related.

Just last week, two FBI agents serving a child pornography search warrant in Florida were shot and killed, and three more were wounded. A State Police K-9 officer was wounded in a traffic stop on I-40 last year. Thankfully, she survived. And the memories here are still fresh of the 2015 murders of Albuquerque police officer Dan Webster and Rio Rancho officer Gregg “Nigel” Benner, both shot and killed during traffic stops.

Homeland Security hasn’t released details of its operation last week, but we are a border state with heavy Juarez cartel presence and two interstate highways that make us a drug hub. Cueva in 2002 pleaded guilty in connection with importing 37 pounds of cocaine into the United States and has other drug offenses in his background, including a 2010 case in which he was accused of possessing several pounds of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. This isn’t the profile of someone with a problem who needs treatment. It’s the profile of a drug dealer.

We will collectively mourn officer Jarrott — a man friends say was dedicated to his family and his community. “All of Lordsburg is devastated,” said resident D.J. Saucedo. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham ordered flags at half staff. Rep. Yvette Herrell, R-Alamogordo, whose district includes Deming and Lordsburg, spoke of the debt “we owe the brave men and women who stand in the gap to protect us from evil.” Local lawmaker Candie Sweetser, D-Deming, talked of the pain in a small, close-knit community. “My prayers and love are with the family and friends of NMSP Office Darian Jarrott as we mourn this tragic loss,” she wrote in a post.

The governor referred to the “scourge of violent crime,” and she’s right about that. After all, this is a place where a suspect with an arsenal explained all the firepower by noting to law enforcement New Mexico is, indeed, a dangerous place.

So we would do well to remember that it’s the men and women of our police agencies — federal, tribal, state and local — who do in fact put their lives on the line when they go to work. Every single day. The next time you see a cop, think of NMSP Officer Darian Jarrott and say “thanks.”

That could bring a smile.