Guardian Wellness

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, with the Schlattman family, is sharing information for services honoring Sergeant Michael Schlattman.

Public Viewing and Visitation
Sunday, March 1, 2026 | 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Daniels Family Funerals & Cremation – Sara Rd Chapel
4310 Sara Rd, Rio Rancho, NM 87124

Law Enforcement Procession
Monday, March 2, 2026 | 9:15 a.m.
A formal law enforcement procession will begin at the funeral home and travel to the Rio Rancho Events Center. The route will be announced in the coming days.

𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥/𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞
𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 | 𝟏𝟎:𝟎𝟎 𝐚.𝐦.
𝐑𝐢𝐨 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫
𝟑𝟎𝟎𝟏 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐢𝐫 𝐍𝐄, 𝐑𝐢𝐨 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨, 𝐍𝐌 𝟖𝟕𝟏𝟒𝟒
𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞.

As we prepare to honor Sgt. Schlattman, we also recognize the extra weight of this date. March 2 would have been Michael’s 53rd birthday. We ask our community and our partners to keep his family especially close in your thoughts and prayers.

If you have asked how to support the family, official links are below. Sharing is appreciated, and donations are optional. Most of all, we ask that you keep the Schlattman family and our deputies, dispatchers, and employees in your prayers.

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/99d3773a1
Send flowers: https://www.danielsfuneral.com/send-flowers

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office is devastated to announce the line of duty death of Sergeant Michael Schlattman, who died this evening as a result of injuries sustained during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 eastbound near the 170.

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 the people of Bernalillo County in multiple assignments, including time 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 as a Sergeant in the East Mountains.

On the evening of February 23, 2026, just before 5:00 p.m., Sergeant Schlattman called over the radio to advise he was conducting a traffic stop. While he was outside the vehicle, a semi truck struck the rear of his department issued vehicle, ultimately pinning him beneath. Sergeant Schlattman died on scene as a result of his injuries.

This is a heartbreaking loss for the Schlattman family, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, and the entire community we serve.

Sergeant Schlattman was the kind of leader deputies hope for and families trust. He was known for being present, involved, and relentless in his support of others. He was not a supervisor who stayed behind a desk. He was consistently out in the field, finding the work, backing his deputies, answering calls for service, and pushing to be proactive. He was the steady voice and the steady presence that made everyone around him better.

“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.”

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s support and compassion as we navigate the days ahead. We ask the community to keep Sergeant Schlattman’s family, friends, and colleagues in your thoughts and prayers. We also ask for patience and respect as investigators continue their work and as the family is given space to grieve.

Information regarding memorial services will be shared as soon as it is available and the family is ready.

Sweatpants & Coffee