Albuquerque, NM(KKOB) – Westbound lanes of traffic on I-40 are shut down at NM 14 as the investigation continues of the fatal crash involving a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s sergeant.
BCSO identified the sergeant as Michael Schlattman. Monday evening, Sergeant Schlattman conducting a traffic stop around 5 p.m. on I-40 westbound and while he was outside the vehicle, a semi truck struck the rear of his vehicle, ultimately pinning him beneath and he died on the scene as a result of his injuries.
Sergeant Schlattman was hired by the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office on April 16, 2012, and was promoted to Sergeant on July 13, 2024. During his career, he served in multiple assignments, including as a detective in Special Investigations and Auto Theft, and as a task force officer with the United States Marshals Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration. At the time of his death, Sergeant Schlattman was assigned in the East Mountains Division.
“This is every agency’s worst nightmare, and tonight it is ours,” said Sheriff John Allen. “Sergeant Schlattman was a servant leader and a protector in the truest sense. He was the kind of supervisor who never asked a deputy to do something he would not do himself. Our hearts are broken, and we are asking our community to carry this family, and this agency, in your prayers.”
Information regarding memorial services will be shared as soon as it is available and the family is ready.
