New GFD program will go beyond first response to overdoses

Firefighters and emergency medical technicians are often the first people on the scene when someone suffers a catastrophic drug overdose. They show up when called and do their best to stabilize the victim and get them to a hospital. Most of the time, responders never know what happens to the patient after that.

But the Gallup Fire Department is about to roll out a new program that aims to head off drug overdoses at the pass. Gallup will be the third city in New Mexico – the other two are Santa Fe and Las Cruces – running the pilot program designed to intervene in these troubled situations and try to stem the tide of...

A man called the police after a child in his care allegedly drank a smoothie containing  pure psychedelic mushrooms.

On May 11, around 6:01 pm, Russel Boardman, 41, called the Gallup Police Department saying that a child needed help after sipping on the reported hallucinating-inducing concoction.

According to the police report, Metro Dispatch had a hard time understanding Boardman, but they did hear a woman screaming in the background.

Gallup Police Officer Jarad Albert arrived at the 1400 block of Romero Circle around 6:06 pm. When he entered the house, he saw Boardman lying on a bed with a small child on his chest. According to Albert’s criminal complaint, the six-year-old child...

A candlelight vigil was held by the grieving family of shooting victim Byron Begay May 18, who was shot dead by an unknown assailant more than a week ago.

This family’s nightmare began May 10, around noon, when Gallup Police were called to the Cliffside Apartments, 602 Dani Dr., based on eye witnesses saying that a man had been shot.

Officers arrived at the apartments and discovered an unresponsive man, who was later identified as Begay, 32, of Churchrock, lying in the road. He had at least two gunshot wounds to the torso area.

Officers administered CPR, however Begay was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the police report, witnesses said that the suspect(s) fled the...

A woman called the police after she realized a relative and his girlfriend were allegedly abusing a baby.

On May 12, around 11:38 pm, Gallup Police Officer Matthew Strandy arrived at the Gallup Indian Medical Center, 516 E. Nizhoni Blvd., because the hospital staff had called in a child abuse report regarding an 18-month-old baby boy.

When he got to the hospital, Strandy met with a woman who said Eric Begay and his girlfriend Jessica Haley had abused the infant.

The woman explained that when she got home around 9 pm that night, she heard a loud thud in the children’s room, and she heard the baby begin to cry.

When she went into the bedroom she met the two older children, 12 and...