SILVER CITY, NM — A disturbing video showing a Grant County, New Mexico, deputy throwing a rabbit against a patrol car has resurfaced online and drawn widespread backlash. The incident happened in August 2024, but the footage continued circulating into 2026, putting new attention on how local law enforcement handled the animal and the aftermath inside the sheriff’s office.
According to accounts of the encounter, the rabbit died from injuries after being thrown into the vehicle. The clip shows officers handling the animal before the moment that sparked outrage, and the video has fueled questions about the conduct of the deputies present that night.
How the rabbit encounter unfolded on a Grant County road
The incident began on the night of August 16, 2024, when four Grant County deputies were traveling along a road and came across a rabbit. Deputy Marcus Salas reportedly stopped after spotting the animal and took photos before trying to carry it to safety.
Other deputies, identified as Deputy Alejandro Gomez, Corporal Cesar Torres, and Sergeant Brandon Reese, also stopped and handled the rabbit. Reports say Gomez asked to take the animal, while Salas initially refused to hand it over. The situation escalated after Gomez allegedly pointed his taser at Salas, leading to the rabbit being passed to him.
Once Gomez had the rabbit, he threw it into a parked patrol vehicle. The other officers reacted and laughed, according to the accounts described in the reporting that followed the case.
Video footage spread after first surfacing in 2025
The video was not widely seen immediately after the incident. It surfaced in 2025 and has continued to circulate on social media since then, with another surge of attention this month as users reacted to the footage and the officers’ behavior.
In the clip, an officer can be heard demanding the rabbit and telling the other deputy to hand it over. Salas is heard asking whether Gomez is going to kill the rabbit and warning him not to do so. Gomez reportedly said he would not kill it before throwing the animal against the side of the patrol car.
The graphic nature of the footage has been central to the backlash. Viewers have focused not only on the death of the rabbit, but also on the apparent casual reaction from the officers nearby.
Internal complaints and state investigation followed
After the incident, Salas reported Gomez to Internal Affairs, but no action was taken at that point. Salas then took the matter to New Mexico State Troopers, who investigated and filed a police report. That sequence pushed the case beyond the sheriff’s office and into the hands of another agency.
Grant County Beat reported that the night’s deputies included Salas, Gomez, Torres, and Reese, and that the dispute over the rabbit became a formal internal matter after the video and the related accounts came to light. The investigation later helped set up the disciplinary and criminal steps that followed.
The case also raised separate concerns about how the report was handled once Salas came forward. Instead of being treated only as a witness or whistleblower, he later became part of the discipline imposed by the sheriff’s office.
All four deputies were fired in August 2025
According to KOAT Action News, all four officers involved were fired in August 2025. Gomez was also charged with one count of extreme cruelty to animals, reflecting the seriousness of the conduct described in the case.
Grant County Sheriff Raul Villanueva made the firing decisions, the Grant County Beat reported. Salas was among those dismissed even though he had reported the incident. Villanueva said Salas failed to act and properly report what happened.
The firing of the other deputies, along with the charge against Gomez, marked the most significant official consequences to date. But the case did not end there, because another administrative action soon created fresh problems for Salas.
A misconduct filing blocked one deputy from state trooper work
On September 10, 2025, Villanueva filed an LEA-90 misconduct report that reportedly prevented Salas from finding employment with New Mexico State Troopers. The filing added another layer to the dispute over how the department treated the deputy who had first reported the incident.
The Silver City Daily Press later reported that Salas was hired by the Hurley Police Department in 2026. The same report said he also plans to sue the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, signaling that the dispute over the rabbit case may continue in court or through other legal action.
Gomez has since been arrested, according to the reporting. With that, the case has moved from a shocking viral video to a broader personnel and criminal matter that continues to cast a shadow over the Grant County agency.
Social media reaction kept the story alive
Even after the official actions, the video kept finding a new audience online. People on social media reacted with anger and disgust at the treatment of the rabbit, and the footage has repeatedly reentered public conversation as users share it again.
One Reddit discussion about the incident drew comments from construction workers who said they often encounter animals on job sites and usually move them to safety. Other users replied with photos of animals they had rescued, using the thread to contrast those actions with what happened in Grant County.
The reaction has helped keep attention on the case long after the original encounter. For many viewers, the most upsetting part remains the same: an animal was mishandled by officers who were supposed to protect the public, and the footage left little doubt about what happened.
