Watch this, because a sheriff is defending one deputy with admitted misconduct while promising to fire another. And right now, neither situation is as clear as it sounds. >> I will call out the past administration of Edgewood. You should be ashamed of yourself. Because the way you smeared this deputy, >> I see a lot of holes and problems with that internal affairs investigation. >> We did our due diligence and we stand by Deputy Walker. Both cases come out of the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office led by Sheriff John Allen. An investigation in a Deputy James Walker found policy violations and misconduct. He served a 45-day suspension. The investigation included admissions of on-duty conduct, failure to properly handle seized evidence, and actions that raised serious integrity concerns. Despite that, Sheriff John Allen says he stands by Walker. He also claimed the investigation had holes and problems. >> I will call out the past administration of Edgewood. You should be ashamed of yourself. Because the way you smeared this deputy, Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen brought up Edgewood Police's prior administration more than a dozen times during a news conference he called on Tuesday, claiming prior leadership there was retaliating against their former officer James Walker, now a deputy with BCSO. >> But now, the former police chief, the independent investigator, and the attorney representing them are all saying that's not true. Attorney Tom Grover put it simply, "What holes? I didn't see anything." >> It's gaslighting because there was no retaliation. I mean, retaliation is a two-part dance, right? You have to have a triggering act that precipitates the retaliation. And here, the former chief was doing an investigation based off of complaints brought forward to him by citizens. He did what needed to be done. Tom Grover is representing former Edgewood Police Chief Roger Jimenez, who calls the sheriff's statements about former leadership meandering, false, and reckless. Edgewood PD launched an internal affairs investigation into Walker after two citizens came forward in 2023 saying Walker was having an on-duty affair with their 19-year-old McDonald's coworker, sending nude photos that were shared with their minor coworkers, and took weed from traffic stops. I don't even think I'm going to sign it. I think I'm just going to resign. Walker didn't stick around for the investigation in Edgewood and instead took a job with BCSO. And then, those were some of the biggest flags you could have as a prospective employer. Edgewood PD says BCSO did send someone down to review the IA findings, but says BCSO had already hired Walker. The investigation found Walker did commit policy and misconduct violations, and he served a 45-day suspension. This week, Allen said he supports Walker and not only knew about the Edgewood investigation, he condemned it. But this is where everything really starts to fall apart. Because an official response says the sheriff wasn't briefed the way he claimed. And investigators never expressed doubts about their findings. In fact, the sheriff was told the investigation was still ongoing and moved forward with hiring anyway. So, the question becomes, if the investigation wasn't finished, why move forward at all? >> I see a lot of holes and problems with that internal affairs investigation. >> Now, Sheriff Allen likes to point point fingers and make these broad statements, but, you know, what holes were were there in that Synergy investigation? I didn't see anything. And it goes further than misconduct. Defense attorneys have already raised concerns about Walker's credibility in court. Grover called those concerns 100% valid. Even more striking, the sheriff himself has talked about stopping officers from moving between departments under a cloud of misconduct. But that's exactly what happened here. >> KRQE's initial investigation reported concerns from defense attorneys about Walker's trustworthiness in court given his history of dishonesty. Are these credibility concerns that attorneys are raising in court today valid? 100% they're valid. They're completely legitimate. In a scathing statement today, former Edgewood leadership says their investigation and eventual misconduct findings into Walker are what citizens should expect of law enforcement leadership when serious allegations are brought to light. >> That's a major integrity issue. Now, you know, I'm not saying that Sheriff Allen shouldn't have hired him. That's his decision. But I can tell you it it it overshadows any number of deputies that I've represented that he's fired. My phone's been going off the hook ever since Sheriff Allen's press statement by former deputies saying, "You've got to be kidding me." And ironically, even Sheriff Allen in his own statement talked about how, you know, there needs to be this effort by law enforcement agencies to keep these officers from hopping from agency to agency when they're under a cloud of misconduct. Well, I mean, that's exactly what happened here. >> Still, Sheriff Allen is adamant. >> We did our due diligence and we stand by Deputy Walker. And at the same time, in a separate case, Sheriff Allen says another deputy is on track to be fired. But days later, that hasn't happened yet. So, in the same department, one deputy with documented misconduct is defended while another is promised termination, but still remains employed. We also have new clarity on another BCSO deputy in the hot seat under investigation for excessive force. News 13's Madison Conner joins us live in the Newsplex now with that case. Deputy Brian Lasley could face criminal charges for what happened late last year when he dealt with a teenager in cuffs. The sheriff said repeatedly that Lasley would be fired, but it hasn't happened yet. And today, the sheriff explained why. It is a criminal investigation. From there, the internal affairs investigation is put on hold to deal with any employment action. The case unfolded last December when Deputy Lasley and his colleagues responded to a disturbance near Second and Griego's involving a teenage girl who had left the Bernalillo County Youth Services Center. Video shows Lasley talking to the girl, taking photos of her injuries after they say she'd already injured two other deputies and a security guard. Moments later, body camera footage shows Lasley pushing her down inside the patrol vehicle. The girl can be heard in pain telling other deputies, "He hit my head on the chair hard." Allen says when he saw the video, he was {quote} pissed and appalled and called for an investigation. The sheriff says New Mexico State Police led that investigation and have since handed it to the DA's office to consider charges. I really don't care on this case specifically what the district attorney finds. Deputy Lasley, I will be going to terminate him. This is not what the public expects, nor are we perfect, but this is not acceptable behavior. Using Lasley's case as an example, Sheriff Allen touted the system at BCSO that he says catches problems and takes action. He believes that system is working. Back to you. All right, Madison, thank you. Deputy Lasley has faced other investigations including one in 2024 after he rear-ended a car killing the driver. He was not criminally charged in that case, but that family has since filed a lawsuit which is still pending in district court. And when official records, investigators, and legal experts all point one way while leadership says another, it raises a bigger question, not just about one deputy, but about whether the explanations themselves can be trusted. Thin blue lies, baby.