Las Cruces police to mark two years since line-of-duty death of Officer Jonah Hernandez
Las Cruces police will hold a private memorial marking two years since Officer Jonah Hernandez was killed in the line of duty in February 2024.
Private memorial and procession planned Wednesday; Hernandez was first LCPD officer killed in the line of duty
Organ Mountain News report
LAS CRUCES - Las Cruces police and city officials will gather Wednesday for a private memorial marking two years since Officer Jonah Hernandez was killed in the line of duty.
The observance will include a procession from the south Valley Drive location where Hernandez was fatally stabbed on Feb. 11, 2024 to Las Cruces Police Department headquarters, where the closed memorial will take place.
Hernandez, 35, died after being stabbed while responding to a trespassing call on the 300 block of south Valley Drive. He had served with the Las Cruces Police Department for about two years.
Hernandez was the first Las Cruces police officer killed in the line of duty in the department’s history.
A witness at the scene intervened, stopped the suspect and provided aid until emergency crews arrived. Hernandez died later that evening at a local hospital.
“It’s been two years since we lost Jonah, but the emotional wounds we have are still fresh and bitter,” Police Chief Jeremy Story said in a statement. “We’ll continue to honor Jonah and his family by shedding light on the man he was and recommitting ourselves to the laws and practices he swore to uphold.”
Hernandez is survived by his wife and two sons. He was buried Feb. 21, 2024, in his hometown of El Paso.
Since his death, Las Cruces police and partner agencies have conducted “Not in Vain” crime-reduction operations in his memory. A 2025 operation resulted in 120 felony arrests, 134 misdemeanor arrests and more than 1,000 interactions with residents and businesses, according to police.
A third Operation Not in Vain is expected to begin this spring, officials stated.
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