May 2025. BLUES Vo. 41 No. 5

duct is addressed with

duct is addressed with the utmostseriousness. This is not only anessential step in maintaining publictrust but also a fundamental partof promoting safety, fairness, andthe well-being of our community.We will continue to work tirelesslyto foster a society where the rule oflaw is applied equally and withoutprejudice.The NPA believes that Torrez’spursuit of a grand jury indictmentof Officer Lunsford was not a matterof ‘committing to the principlesof justice,’ but was indeed both an‘essential step’ and a ‘foundationalpart’ of furthering a grossly misguidednotion of ‘safety, fairness,and the well-being of [a] community’through the politically motivatedpursuit of diminishing the protectionsafforded to law enforcementofficers.”Torrez, the NPA wrote, was tryingto tie Lunsford’s prosecutions tonational controversies about alleged“systematic brutality” insteadof solely on the merits of his ownparticular actions.“In the wake of high-profile incidentsfrom other states, it appearsthat NMAG Torrez chose OfficerLunsford as a convenient scapegoat–ameans to make a politicalstatement that ‘no one is above thelaw’”NPA writes that Torrez appearedto have engaged in “selective prosecution”of Officer Lunsford, whichviolates the Constitutional guaranteeof Equal Protection under thelaw. They wrote that “law enforcementofficers enjoy these protectionsand expectations as well andshould not be subject to arbitraryclassification and pursuit.”[...]“...standing for the propositionthat prosecuting a law enforcementofficer solely on the basis that theindividual is a law enforcementofficer would likely violate theEqual Protection Clause of the UnitedStates Constitution. The EqualProtection Clause prohibits selectiveprosecution based on arbitraryclassifications such as race, religion,or other unjustifiable standards.”[...]“No American should be made avictim of the law’s ire due to prejudiceor politics, and that includesthe brave men and women of lawenforcement. To do so otherwiseis to create a two-tiered systemof justice–one for the politicallyfavored, and one for the politicallyinconvenient. Such a system is ananathema to our Constitution.”In the case of Officer Lunsford,NPA believes that Torrez held himto different standards than ordinarycitizens would be held to, specificallythe right to self-defense.Despite two different reviews determiningthat his use of force wasappropriate and just, Torrez stillsaw fit to seek his indictment.“Respectfully, there exists aninescapable conclusion that OfficerLunsford is being treated differentlybecause of who he is–a policeofficer dedicated to protecting thepublic–and what this case signifiesto certain political interests, ratherthan what he did or the justice ofthe matter,” the NPA wrote.The NPA’s press release suggestedthat Torrez violated “Lunsford’s constitutionalrights under the Fifth andFourteenth Amendments, includingsubstantive and procedural dueprocess, and raises concerns aboutthe selective prosecution based onpolitical bias against law enforcementofficers.”NPA spokesperson Sgt. BetsyBranter Smith (Ret.) said, “This isnot justice–it is persecution. OfficerLunsford followed his training,protected his partner, and surviveda life-threatening encounter. Now,he faces prison not because hebroke the law, but because he worea badge.”The NPA’s letter didn’t detailsome other disturbing issues aboutLunsford’s case, which Law EnforcementToday has extensively reportedon. That includes the aforementionedrefusal of the trial judge toadmit exculpatory evidence into thetrial, as well as reports that one ofthe jurors, the jury foreperson, liedduring the voir dire process aboutpreviously expressed anti-policesentiments. If any case is crying outfor a DOJ investigation, the case ofOfficer Brad Lunsford is it.“This case goes beyond one man,”Smith added. “It sends a chillingmessage to every officer in America:even if you follow departmentpolicy, even if you act to save alife, you may be sacrificed to scorepolitical points. If this continuesunchecked, the thin blue line willcrumble under fear and hesitation.“The United States is a nation oflaws–not of mobs, not of headlines,not of political agendas,” Smithconcluded. “If we abandon thatprinciple for our police officers, weabandon it for everyone.”26 The BLUES - MAY ‘25

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