Dear Patriot,
Planning a wedding is supposed to be an exciting time. But instead of buying a
dress and booking our honeymoon, I’ve hired an attorney to fight for my
fiancé’s life.
Please, let me explain…
I am engaged to marry Deputy Jacob Diaz of the Otero County Sheriff’s
Department in New Mexico.
Jacob is a good man. Kind, loyal, and hard working. He’s the kind of officer
you hope shows up in your time of need.
But everything changed on June 25, 2024, when Jacob responded to a late-night
report of a possibly intoxicated man walking along the median of a busy highway.
Upon his arrival, Jacob found a young man with his shirt draped over his left
arm, hiding whatever was in his waistband. Following protocol, Jacob ordered
the man to stay back and show his hands.
“Stop right there, bro.” “Are you alright?” “Let me see your other hand, bro.”
The young man refused to comply.
And in the next few seconds, both their lives changed forever.
The man quickly walked toward my fiancé and drew what appeared to be a firearm.
Jacob’s training kicked in. He fired his service weapon.
The man fell to the ground, but he continued to reach for his weapon– ignoring
Jacob’s commands to show his hands and stop reaching for the gun.
Jacob fired additional shots, killing the armed man.
We later learned that the man’s weapon was an airsoft gun.
My heart broke for the young man’s family. But I also thanked God for
protecting my fiancé that night. It easily could have been his life lost on
that median.
The New Mexico State Police launched an in-depth investigation into Jacob’s
actions.
I knew without a doubt the shooting was justified. After all, the suspect drew
a firearm on an officer and would not back down.
So, we were relieved – but not surprised – when the State Police cleared Jacob
of any wrongdoing and reinstated him on the force in September.
That should have been the end of this story...
But out of nowhere, an anti-police prosecutor filed First-Degree Murder
charges against Jacob.
Now my fiancé faces life in prison for doing his job and defending himself in
the line of duty.
And I’m swallowing my pride and reaching out to you, a perfect stranger, for
help.
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You see, this has long been one of my biggest fears. Political prosecutions of
police officers is at an all-time high right now and New Mexico is not a
police-friendly state.
But I still can’t believe this is happening to my fiancé.
We’re in our 20s. We have our entire lives ahead of us. Now all our hopes and
dreams may be destroyed by an anti-cop prosecutor with an ax to grind against
law enforcement.
So, instead of saving for a wedding and our future together, Jacob and I
scraped together enough money to hire an attorney.
But fighting First-Degree Murder charges will cost upwards of $200,000.
That’s money we just don’t have.
Every day I prayed. I asked God to make this nightmare go away… for the
prosecutor to drop the charges… or to show us a way to pay for Jacob’s defense.
My desperate prayers were answered when we received a phone call from Jason
Johnson, the President of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund (LELDF).
The LELDF Board of Directors reviewed the facts of the case and they are
confident that Jacob is innocent – so they’ve offered to fund his defense.
God heard my prayers.
For the first time in months, I am hopeful for our future – that Jacob may
not spend the rest of his life behind bars after all.
Not just because LELDF is making sure Jacob gets the defense he deserves, but
because LELDF’s Directors are the leading experts on policing and “use of
force” in the nation – folks like Ronald Reagan’s Attorney General Ed Meese and
former Assistant Director of the FBI Ron Hosko.
With over 30 years of helping wrongly accused officers clear their names,
LELDF’s support carries weight. (And the prosecution knows this!)
But we still have a lot of work to do. LELDF doesn’t receive taxpayer funding
and grants and large gifts are few and far between.
Instead, LELDF relies on kind-hearted strangers who respect our men and women
in blue and want to help cops like Jacob who are being railroaded by
progressive prosecutors.
Folks, I hope, like you.
This isn’t easy for me so I’m just going to come out and ask…
Will you help LELDF fight for my fiancé by making a tax-deductible donation of
$35, $50, $100, or more today?
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No matter how much you’re able to help, your donation will be put to immediate
use helping LELDF support wrongly accused officers like Jacob.
I don’t think I have to tell you it’s a terrible time to be a cop in America.
It’s all over the news.
Not only are ambush attacks up, but anti-police prosecutors – often bought and
paid for by radical billionaire George Soros – are going after innocent
officers at an alarming rate.
Even when the facts clearly show the cop did his job by the book and a
previous investigation cleared him!
Still, officers like Jacob show up every day – put on the badge and put their
lives in danger to protect their communities.
That’s why I’m asking you to stand with me today and help LELDF support my
fiancé.
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Your generous donation will make a difference when it comes to the bills. And
if you’re a God-fearing person like me, will you please pray for Jacob and our
family?
Just knowing we aren’t alone means the world to us as we face down this
nightmare.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Gratefully,
Kathryn Gonzalez
More such officers who sacrifice so much for will face similar fates unless we
speak out and stand up for the brave men and women in blue. The next time you
see a police officer in your community, please thank them for their service. To
read more about our mission or the other Law Enforcement officers we're
defending, please visit. And remember –Blue Lives Matter!
© Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund | www.PoliceDefense.org
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2560 Huntington Ave. Suite 203, Alexandria, VA, 22303
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