In late June 2024, Elijah Hadley, a 17-year-old Native American, was shot and killed by a police officer on a welfare check in New Mexico’s Otero County. The disturbing body cam footage, which has been shared across the internet, caused “Justice for Elijah Hadley” to trend on social media. Now, one Indigenous person of the Chiricahua/Mescalero Apache nation, to which she says Hadley also belonged, has spoken about what happened on TikTok.
The shooting happened at around 11:00pm on June 25, 2024. Hadley was reportedly walking along the median in the road, and the officer was called to check on him. When the officer arrived, he asked Hadley to drop what he had in his hands, which turned out to be an airsoft BB gun. As Hadley did so, the officer fired four times, and Hadley fell to the ground screaming and crying in pain, as evidenced by the body cam footage.
Hadley was shot at least 15 more times
The officer then calls for backup while ordering Hadley not to move. After about five minutes pass, the officer shoots at least 15 more times while Hadley is on the ground. The officer initially said Hadley pointed “what appeared to be a firearm” at him, and in response, the officer fired “at least one round,” KFOX14 reported. Hadley was dead when help arrived.
Hadley’s tragic death underscores the problem of Native American police killings. The same month Hadley died, there were Native American officer-involved shooting fatalities in South Dakota and Arizona. Recent data shows Native Americans are 3 to 5 times more likely to die in police encounters when compared to other racial and ethnic groups.
In her post about Hadley’s killing, TikTok user @Bellanicole88 describes the graphic body cam footage. “Our tribe is calling for justice,” she says. Hadley’s killing, she adds, “is something very close to me and should be close to all people’s hearts.” Reports say the officer involved in the shooting has not yet been identified. He is on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.