The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office has won a national award recognizing how deputies used drone technology to safely disarm two young children who were armed with a loaded handgun.
The sheriff’s office was awarded the 2025 Lifesaving Achievement Award and People’s Choice Award at Skydio’s Aerial Achievement Awards ceremony, according to a statement from the department.
Sheriff John Allen and his staff were invited to Skydio Ascend 2025 to represent their work in New Mexico alongside national law enforcement agencies, including the New York Police Department and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
The award stems from a February incident involving two children, ages 7 and 9, who deputies found armed with a fully loaded handgun. A Skydio drone provided real-time aerial surveillance that allowed deputies to monitor the children’s movements without escalating the situation, enabling them to disarm the boys without using deadly force, according to the sheriff’s office.
“The use of Skydio technology helped our deputies navigate one of the most difficult and emotionally charged calls of their careers,” Allen said in a previous statement. “It gave us the ability to make informed, life-saving decisions that prevented tragedy.”
The Aerial Achievement Awards recognize missions where drones played critical roles in protecting lives, according to Skydio, a leading U.S. drone manufacturer specializing in autonomous flight technology.
The sheriff’s office competed against other law enforcement agencies nationwide for the award, with the winner determined through public voting.