Las Vegas Injury Lawyers Blog

The Las Vegas Metro Police are the first law enforcement agency in the country to partner with the federal government's Community Oriented Policing Service (COP) office. The ultimate goal of the partnership is to create and improve the Metro Police's relationship with the Las Vegas community, decrease the number of Metro cases that use force to apprehend or resolve criminal situations, and decrease crime In Las Vegas.

The COP program was created by the U.S. Justice Department as a result of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. As a component of the Justice Department, the mission of the COP office is to advance community policing in jurisdictions of all sizes across the country. COP provides grants to state and local law enforcement agencies to hire and train community policing professionals, acquire and deploy cutting-edge crime-fighting technologies, and develop and test innovative policing strategies.

In Las Vegas, the COPS office will use an extensive collection of research and issue management resources, plus a network of subject matter experts that include law enforcement professionals, crime and justice analysts, federal representatives and community leaders, to gather and analyze Metro Police data on use of force cases and review procedures. The office then does on-site visits and incorporates community feedback into their evaluation of the department's operations. Finally, the COPS office will also establish best practices for police departments looking to improve their policies and procedures.

While the COPS Office does not have law enforcement authority, it does work thoroughly with the law enforcement field and serves as a clearinghouse of public safety information and training opportunities.

Community Oriented Policing Services has helped nearly 12,950 jurisdictions through 27 different grant programs since 1994. In September 2002 the program had provided funding for over 116 thousand community policing professionals across the country.

In 2011, Las Vegas Metro Police were engaged in 18 officer-involved shootings, 12 of which resulted in a fatality. By the end of January 2012, Metro Police were involved in two officer-involved shooting, including one fatality.

Continue reading "Las Vegas Metro Police Partner with Feds to Decrease Use of Force & Area Crime" »

Written By a Law Clerk for Parker Scheer Lagomarsino: Robert Maxey

The reason corruption is so lethal is because its premise is in direct opposition with the foundation of government. Governments serve the people whereas corruption is self-serving. The conflict of interest is obvious. In economics, growth and prosperity within a country is often tied to what is called the rule of law. The rule of law means that no one is above the law and the enforcement of it relies heavily upon how corrupt, apathetic or negligent a country is in enforcing its laws. It is therefore that an act of corruption is not just a moral tragedy but is in fact an attack on our purses and our prosperity. With an economic and moral interest in mind, the need to preserve moral rectitude is essential to our personal success.

The following facts have been alleged in a recent civil rights lawsuit:

On August 3rd, 2009 it has been alleged that police officers assaulted, accosted and accused LaMonte Simmons without cause and without reason. The officers had arrived at Simmons' neighbors house and put a boy who outside into a headlock. The boy's mother inquired as to why her son was being held and they threw her against a wall and held her there by pulling her arm behind her back. Simmons' who thought the force was unnecessary started complaining and he was instructed by officers to leave. After more police showed up however Simmons was confronted by an officer who put on his gloves, walked up and punched him across the face. A group of about ten officers then came up and beat him. Afterwards Simmons was arrested on charges of assaulting an officer and obstruction of justice.

What makes this incident so shocking, if proven, is that it plays out like a run of the mill gang attack, except the gang in this violent assault was the police! To add to the outrage, it is believed that the violence in this encounter was never reported by other officers present and no police officer was disciplined.

When the government has a monopoly on the use of force, those with whom we trust to use that force must do so appropriately. Our rule of law cannot protect us when malicious corruption, commonly found in third world nations, is running rampant in the United States. The state has an immediate responsibility to resolve the unraveling of our civilized society. An important point to make is that this level of corruption should never have arisen. Safeguards and policies should have been adequately placed to protect the citizens from such flagrant anarchy.

As was stated earlier this is not just a moral issue, it is an economic one that our country is reliant upon. We cannot thrive if people cannot trust our government and we live in fear of it. The result of the lawsuit that Simmons' has filed will hopefully bring the necessary changes. If it does not history will repeat itself and we will have a new tragedy to besmirch our government. People will graciously be given the opportunity to re-contemplate what had gone wrong.

A full article can be found here: Suit claims Chicago police punch first 'and ask questions later'

Continue reading "Alleged Corruption in Chicago Civil Rights Case" »

Written By a Law Clerk for Parker Scheer Lagomarsino: Robert Maxey

Frequently, officers who break the law are sometimes held to lower standards than everyday citizens. The first reason is that often law enforcement escapes punishment by saying they were acting within their duty. A second reason is that law enforcement officers are a close-knit community and many officers refuse to report or arrest each other for crime. Perhaps a third reason could be that a judge or a jury automatically appoints more credibility and flexibility to an officer simply because they are an officer.

For whatever the reasons may be, officers frequently receive less severe penalties and punishments than if a member of the general public had committed the same act. This lower standard of punishment is in direct conflict with the purpose of punishment, which is to reduce crime. A stricter sentence and higher standard develops a healthy law enforcement environment of accountability. When people are allowed to get away with a crime or reduced punishment, laws lose their effectiveness and purpose for existing.

On New Year's Day of 2009, an unarmed man was killed by a BART officer. The man was an African American by the name of Oscar Grant III who was a butcher at a local supermarket. A fight had started in the rail car he was in that did involve him. He was laying flat with his face to the ground when he was shot and killed by the officer. When the officer went into court he claimed that he thought he had pulled out his taser instead of his pistol. The court convicted him of involuntary manslaughter and he was sentenced to two years, however he only served twelve months before he was released. His mother has just settled a civil rights case against BART for $1,300,000.

Numerous problems and questions arise within this case. The first thing to understand was that the officer was white and underlying racial tensions could have played an important role. The most obvious question is how an officer could confuse his pistol for his taser. Certainly a man lying on the ground would not have warranted such a quick response that he could not see he was wielding a gun before he pulled the trigger. A more important and crucial element is even if we allow the officer to have made an honest mistake, the reason for wielding a taser in the first place is unclear. One logical assumption would be that an officer intended to use excessive force against a man who had his back to him and was on the ground. Either way the story is spun, the officer cannot escape that his actions were not in accordance with the law or what is to be expected of an officer.

In this writer's opinion, if a private citizen had done the exact same thing, more serious consequences could have been expected. Releasing those who we should hold to a higher standard early and providing them with reduced punishments sets a bad example of what we want from law enforcement. Our actions should say that we want more, never less.

A full article can be found here: BART settles in wrongful shooting

Our law firm does not represent anybody in this incident. The commentary is for educational purposes only. If you or someone you know has been injured or unjustly suffered brutality from the government and would like to be represented by a Las Vegas Lawyer, contact our office for a free confidential case review and receive a response within hours. Call Toll Free 866-414-0400.

Written By a Law Clerk for Parker Scheer Lagomarsino: Robert Maxey

Power and authority are the most important influences we subject ourselves to. Deciding who has authority or power and when are crucial questions to answer. Within the United States we have three separate branches of government designed in a way that they create a system of checks and balances. It is this system of checks and balances that helps prevent what our society fears, tyranny.

Law and order are tools to be used within our system to promote the welfare of society and to nurture the growth and happiness of individual life. Our country was given birth upon the principals of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Within our constitution and within every law no one person has absolute authority or power to do as they please. Our laws define and appropriate power and authority in very specific manners that which prevent the government from terrorizing its citizens.

We enjoy the pleasure and freedom to speak on whatever political issues we feel warrant our voice and act as we choose so long as laws are not broken. Despite this nature of freedom in our country there are occasions when boundaries of power and authority are crossed. There are instances when power is taken out of its designated use and applied illegally to torment citizens. It is these instances that should cause the most alarm in our country and it is these times that the most drastic punishments must be issued.

On November 2006 police officer's acting outside their authority and power assaulted Ronald Eaton in front of a local restaurant in Ellsworth. While the officer's were acting with assumed noble intentions of preventing disturbing the peace they were acting outside of their power. Mr. Eaton had been inside eating and drinking when his girlfriend left under the guise of using the restroom. After her disappearance Mr. Eaton went outside in search for her. His search enticed off duty police officers to restrain him breaking his arm and imprison him without adequate cause. While imprisoned with a broken arm he had pepper spray and further physical force used against him.

To take threats against the rule of law with apathy could allow our system to deteriorate to a fragile state vulnerable to collapse. We enjoy our successful nation because we do not tolerate corruption. Police are given plenty of freedom to uphold the law but they cannot and will never be allowed to uphold the law as they see fit. Being disruptive or obnoxious is not inherently a crime and usually requires impeding upon someone else's safety to be considered such. For any officer to uphold their version of the law is in direct conflict with our constitution and our separations of power. As restitution to Mr. Eaton the case was settled for $725,000 before the trial was set to begin.

A full article can be found here: Police brutality civil case settled out of court for $725,000

Our law firm does not represent anybody in this incident. The commentary is for educational purposes only. If you or someone you know has had your rights violated or suffered police brutality and would like to be represented by a great Las Vegas Lawyer, contact our office for a free confidential case review and receive a response within hours. Call Toll Free 866-414-0400.