THIS is the shocking moment when two young boys were caught in a fraught armed standoff with police in New Mexico.

Footage released by the Sheriff’s Office shows the two kids, aged seven and nine trying to evade capture by cops while brandishing a loaded handgun.

They can be seen standing behind an air-conditioning unit as officers desperately attempt to de-escalate the situation.

Drone footage shows the boys looking around while trying to avoid capture – and neither seeming to grasp the gravity of the situation.

Dressed in Minecraft and Star Wars-themed pajamas, the stunning footage shows them clinging close to the unit while one of them holds the firearm.

Bodycam footage from deputies in the area shows they desperately pleaded with the kids to put the gun down.

“Put it down babe,” one officer can be heard saying.

“You’re not in trouble but you have to put it down and come and talk to us.”

After a few moments of fraught decision making, the officers decide to fire two rubber bullets at the children – but they still manage to hold onto the gun.

Eventually, the kids are surrounded and apprehended by cops.

The shocking incident took place on February 16, and has been showcased by the Sheriff’s Office as part of “a new initiative designed to address critical service gaps in the community”.

The two boys were not arrested – a decision that Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) has looked to defend.

“This case illustrates the complex intersection of juvenile crime, mental health, and public safety,” Sheriff John Allen said.

“We are taking important steps to close service gaps and expand our ability to work with juveniles involved in firearms or violent crimes.”

No charges were filed against the boys and they have not been removed from their home, the Albuquerque Journal has reported.

However, the gun seen in the video has been seized.

Allen said officers had been called to the home of this incident dozens of times before the standoff seen in the video due to problems with the boys and their families, the paper added.

It is not known how the boys got hold of the gun.

“Children are our future, and we know one side is going to say, ‘Lock them in jail.’ They’re 7 and 9 years old,” Allen added.

“I told you before, numerous times in numerous interviews, that I understand the frontal lobe.”

A member of the department’s behavioural health unit told Fox News they are “providing every recourse possible to assist the children involved”.

The office added the done had “allowed deputies to secure the area swiftly and safely, ultimately preventing a potential deadly force encounter with the juveniles”.