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Jan. 15, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Two North Las Vegas police officers arrested in casino incident

By ANTONIO PLANAS
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

North Las Vegas detectives arrested two of the department’s own officers Thursday for misconduct during a December incident involving a casino patron.

One officer is accused of repeatedly striking the handcuffed California man in the face during the incident. Both officers are accused of lying on a police report.


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    • Police said Mark Alan Miles and James F. Balelo, both 27, were booked into the Clark County Detention Center on charges of filing a false report by a public officer, a gross misdemeanor. Miles also faces a felony charge of oppression under color of office. Both officers have been with the department for almost two years.

    This is the second time in consecutive months North Las Vegas police have arrested one of their own. On Dec. 23, James Vernon Clayton, 40, was arrested on charges connected to allegations that he exposed himself and tried to coerce women into sexual activities to get out of traffic tickets.

    Miles was in the county jail Thursday evening on $8,000 bail. Balelo was in the jail on $3,000 bail. Miles and Balelo are expected to make their first court appearances on Tuesday.

    Sgt. Tim Bedwell said Miles and Balelo have been on paid administrative leave since the department’s criminal investigation began Dec. 8.

    The incident that led to the arrests occurred just before midnight Dec. 6 at the Cannery, 2121 E. Craig Road.

    Miles and Balelo were called to the casino to deal with a rowdy bar patron from Diamond Bar, Calif. The 31-year-old man, identified in the officers’ arrest report as Luis Enrique Vargas, was handcuffed in a holding cell at the casino after a citizen’s arrest was made by security guards.

    He was accused of slamming his beer bottle on the casino bar and punching the screen of a video poker machine.

    The arrest reports Miles and Balelo filed against Vargas were vastly different than evidence from the actual video surveillance, according to the report filed against the officers.

    While in the holding cell at the casino, Miles, without provocation, repeatedly slapped Vargas and baited him to fight, according to the report filed against the officers. Balelo threatened to “bust” Vargas in the face if Vargas didn’t stop yelling at the hotel security guards who were standing outside the holding cell.

    The reports the officers filed claimed that Vargas had threatened them and attempted to bite and spit on them. The officers also made up threatening quotes and attributed them to Vargas in the reports. The surveillance showed instead that he was compliant with the two officers’ requests and did not make any threats, according to the report filed against the officers.

    Vargas was handcuffed during the entire incident.

    At one point, Miles told Vargas to stand up. Vargas tried to comply and answered, “I’ll sit down. I’ll sit down for you homie,” the report states. Miles then slapped Vargas and said, “I’m not your homie.”

    Miles then put his face in Vargas’ face and said “what-don’t-you-get,” – slapping his face four times to punctuate each word – “I’m not your homie,” according to the report.

    Later, when Balelo told Vargas he was under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon, Vargas remarked that the officers were “some crooked (expletives).”

    Miles replied, “Oh (expletive) dude, what did you say?”

    Vargas replied, “Crooked.”

    Miles then said, “We’re some crooked (expletives),” and grabbed Vargas, who was on his knees, by his handcuffed wrists. He slammed Vargas to the ground face-first, according to the report.

    “Vargas clearly made no actions that would have made this force necessary or reasonable,” the police report on the officers’ arrest said.

    Bedwell said Vargas didn’t need medical attention for his injuries.

    Police said Vargas was initially arrested for assault with a deadly weapon against the security guards and resisting arrest. The charges were lowered to disorderly conduct. It was unknown whether he was prosecuted on the charge.

    Bedwell said an internal investigation began Thursday, after the officers were arrested. The incidents could lead to their dismissals, Bedwell said.

    Bedwell said the officers’ supervisor became suspicious of what was written in the police report. Police then called the casino and obtained a video with audio of the incident.

    Bedwell said that even if the allegations aren’t true, the incident demonstrates why a supervisor always goes over police reports with officers. Supervisors are familiar with what happens in the line of duty because they have been officers, Bedwell said.

    “This is exactly why we operate with the level of supervision that we have, so officers don’t get out of line.”

    He added that if a person who isn’t a police officer assaulted someone as Miles is accused of assaulting the California man, the crime would not rise to the level of a felony. But police must hold themselves to a higher standard, Bedwell said.

    “Police officers have extra power, so there are extra expectations they would not harm anyone in their care.”

     

    Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638. Contact reporter Lawrence Mower at lmower@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0440.

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    ...Temujin...Khan..of..the..Yakka...Mongols... wrote on January 25, 2009 05:39 PM: .
    ..
    ...Hamburger....2.95$

    ...Cheeseburger....3.75$..?

    ...Californiaburger....7.95$...???

    ...Hit him on the head some more...


    Maria Dali wrote on January 23, 2009 07:12 PM: Police Officers are criminals with a badge.


    color IT WAS ABOUT TIME wrote on January 22, 2009 05:55 PM:
    It was about time some one did some investigation on North las vegas cops, there is more cops in in north Las vegas that need to be under investigation. Thank you NORTH LAS VEGAS DETECTIVES, fINALLY this two dogs are been put in thier cage where they belong. Can you lose the key for awhile? Maybe this dogs can obey and think twice before biting others with out a cause.And also maybe the North LAS VEGAS dectectives also do a investigation ON TRAFFIC CITATION. MOSTLY ON ILLEGAL HISPANICS. Come on i have seen the most an call for citation giving out to this people.I know they have too give out tickets but do cops really have to go over .If i was a cop and pull some one over. I know for a fact that i would not throw the book on this people.Iwould give thim the reason for the pull over. And yes i would give out citations but for the reason of pull over. COPS KNOWS THAT MOSTLY ILLEGALY PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE A NEVADA DRIVER LICENCES, BUT ALOT OF THEM HAVE LICENCES FROM THIER COUNTRY. SOME GOOD FELLOWS ACCEPT THEM AND OTHER THAT ARE BUTTHOLE TAKE ADVANTAGE. IS North LAS VEGAS GETTING RICH on THIS UNDER PAY PEOPLE? YES WHY. Becuse THERE IS ALOT OF DOGS OUT THERE LIKE MARK AND James.That have not been caught yet.AND ITS ALL ABOUT COLOR THANK God for Obama.WE ARE BEING BLESS.


    DOROTHY wrote on January 22, 2009 01:57 PM: IT MAKES ME SAD AND DISAPPOINTED THAT THE VERY PEOPLE (POLICE) WE DEPEND ON TO PROTECT US CAN ACT OUT IN THIS WAY.THESE TWO OFFICERS SHOULD RECONSIDER WHAT THEIR MOTIVES WERE WHEN THEY TOOK AN OATH TO BECOME POLICEMEN.I HOPE JUSTICE IS SERVED HERE TO THE GENTLEMEN WHO WAS A TRUE VICTIM HERE!!!


    Jacko wrote on January 22, 2009 12:39 AM: Those two NLV cops look like some salespeople that go around my neighborhood selling cleaning products. On second thought, they remind me of beavis and butthead.


    anon wrote on January 21, 2009 10:13 PM: Justice are you a cop? You sure are one angry guy. You need to go to anger management.


    Scared of Metro wrote on January 20, 2009 08:52 PM: This is typical of all the Southern Nevada LE agencies. They abuse their power and flex their muscle upon the common citizens. I'm sure we've all had our run-in with a scumbag like these two. Unfortunately, the majority of police officers are nothing but the other white meat; picked on in high school and mad at the world because they were the goofy kids. It unfortunate that it takes a casino to produce the evidence to jail these bums who are a disgrace to the badge. Most of Metro, NLV and without a doubt, Henderson are just like these two. Perhaps in IA wasn't as corrupt as the rest of them more people WOULD have respect for the law. I've heard from old ladies who believe the police are nothing but a bunch of pigs looking to ruin someones day and then go back to their 'pig pen' and laugh with the other who couldn't amount to anything, so as a last resort became a cop. Honestly, if you were intelligent, your first career choice would not be police officer. Until this corrupt county has a major reorganization and gets rid of the 'good ole boys' none of us will be safe.


    lotta wrote on January 20, 2009 01:06 PM: I am glad that two of the "bad seeds" have been taken out of the force, even if for a moment. Remember, innocent until PROVEN guilty. The evidence speaks volumes though.


    fiveOBob wrote on January 18, 2009 03:12 PM: It ain't over yet. There's a few more NLVPD officers that need to be watched. They know who they are. Justice is correct.


    Justice wrote on January 17, 2009 11:24 PM: What is all the fuss about these 2 police officers. They are a great representation of just about all of the police in this town. These 2 just happened to get caught.


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