Benjamin Herrera

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.