Memorial set up for 4 first responders killed in BCSO helicopter crash

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — In northwest Albuquerque, there’s a new memorial set up in honor of the four first responders who were killed in the BCSO helicopter crash near Las Vegas, New Mexico.

A patrol vehicle, serving as a memorial site, is parked outside BCSO’s North Area Command Center on Fourth Street, so they can keep a close eye on it.

“So we had the idea to put a vehicle here as a memorial site for our community to come and drop off items,” said Felicia Maggard, a detective with BCSO. “We have received tons of requests to drop off cards or notes or photos for our fallen officers and their families, and our own deputies – there’s a little crack in the window that you can kind of slip a note in if you want to leave, you know, any other type of item or gift, you’re welcome to leave it.”

The patrol vehicle is carefully wrapped in blue ribbon.

“Stand True For Blue decorated this vehicle,” Maggard said. “I think that the blue ribbon is just something that’s commonly used for law enforcement and that thin blue line, and then, just you know, writing their names so that we can see these heroes names. They are heroes that we lost, and they’re never going to be forgotten.”

If you want to leave something of value, BCSO asks that you reach out to them on Facebook first. You can also donate to the GoFundMe page for the victims’ families.

“It’s a tragedy, you know, beyond measure, and we are going to mourn their loss forever,” Maggard said. “But we want the community to know that this is something that we are mourning together. We stand hand in hand in this situation, and we’re just thankful for them.”