Benjamin Herrera
Agency patch
Officer

Benjamin Herrera

Farmington Police Department — Farmington, NM
Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch March 31, 1962
Age 38
Tour of Duty 1 yrs
The Vigil Panel 97 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Benjamin Herrera was shot and killed after he and two other officers responded to a report from a woman that her husband was drunk and threatened to kill his family. The officers located the man's vehicle at a nearby trailer park and began to search for him. The man surprised them and held them at bay with a rifle. The officers attacked the man when he became distracted. During the scuffle, the man gained control of Officer Herrera's service weapon and shot him in the chest. He shot the other officer three times before the third officer was able to subdue him. The suspect was sentenced to a total of ten years for the murder of Officer Herrera and the attempted murder of his partner. Officer Herrera was a WWII veteran and had served with the Farmington Police Department for one year. He was survived by his wife and six children. Two of his grandsons became officers with the Farmington Police Department. In 2017, the Farmington Police Department was dedicated in his honor.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and six children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-NM-6802B888
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Officer Herrera gave the Farmington Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Farmington community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Farmington, San Juan County, NM
Platform Identity fpd.sanjuan.nm.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 31, 1962
Tour of Duty 1 yrs
Age 38
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Officer's handgun

Military Service

Benjamin Herrera served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Benjamin Herrera is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In NM, 123 of 193 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.7% of this state's fallen. That is 63.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Farmington Police Department, 2 of 3 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Farmington Police Department
2
of 3 officers
66.7% Felonious
NM — Statewide
123
of 193 officers
63.7% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Benjamin Herrera's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Benjamin Herrera Compares

Age at Death
38
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
1
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Benjamin Herrera is highlighted in Mar.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Benjamin Herrera was killed by officer's handgun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Military Service

Benjamin Herrera served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.

Visit Benjamin Herrera’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Others Who Wore This Badge

2 officers from Farmington Police Department are honored on badge.nw.