A large crowd gathered Thursday morning at Veterans Memorial Park in Rio Rancho to honor three police officers killed in the line of duty, with city and state officials calling on newer officers to learn the names and stories of those who came before them.
The Rio Rancho Police Department’s annual Fallen Officer Memorial ceremony honored Officer Germaine Casey, Officer Anthony Haase and Officer Gregg “Nigel” Benner. New Mexico Department of Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Jason Bowie, Mayor Paul Wymer and Chief Stewart Steele each addressed the crowd. Among those in attendance were City Manager Matt Geisel, City Councilors Deb Dapson, Nicole List and Bob Tyler, former mayor and current gubernatorial candidate Gregg Hull, state Reps. Alan Martinez, Joshua Hernandez, Catherine Cullen, Nicole Chavez and state Sen. Jay Block.
Bowie urged the department’s newer officers to visit the roadside memorials and monuments marking where each officer fell — not just to grieve, but to understand what the badge carries.
“The department should never outgrow its own memory,” Bowie said. “This is your history to inherit. It’s yours to carry forward, and it’s yours to honor.”
Chief Steele noted that New Mexico lost Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Deputy Antonio Aleman last year, and acknowledged the February death of Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Michael Schlattman, who was killed during a traffic stop on I-40.
Steele closed his remarks with a reflection on what the job costs the families left behind each morning.
“Every morning, my wife walks me out, kisses me goodbye and prays over me as I back out of the driveway,” Steele said. “As I pull up the hill away from our house, I can still see her standing there, waving. Because we just don’t know.”
The ceremony also honored the fallen officers’ families — some present at the park, others watching via Facebook livestream.
The three officers remembered:
- Officer Germaine Casey (End of Watch: Aug. 27, 2007) — Died after his motorcycle crashed during a presidential motorcade escort for President George W. Bush. He had been with RRPD since 2005 and left behind a wife and two children.
- Officer Anthony Haase (End of Watch: Oct. 26, 2014) — Killed in a single-vehicle crash while responding to a domestic violence call. He was 24.
- Officer Gregg “Nigel” Benner (End of Watch: May 25, 2015) — Shot and killed during a traffic stop after a passenger fled and opened fire. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Benner served four years with RRPD and is survived by his wife and five children.
Remember the fallen:
- Germaine Casey — Monument near Sunport Boulevard
- Anthony Haase — Memorial on Idalia Road
- Gregg “Nigel” Benner — Memorial bench, Pinetree Road near Southern Boulevard
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund: nleomf.org