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Las Vegas Metro against bid to scrap coroner's inquests
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LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU
Updated: Apr. 15, 2011 | 7:31 a.m.
CARSON CITY -- Breaking with other law enforcement agencies, the Metropolitan Police Department came out Thursday against a bill to scrap the coroner's inquest system in Clark County.
Police lobbyist Chuck Callaway said during an Assembly Government Affairs subcommittee hearing that Sheriff Doug Gillespie supported changes to the inquest process that were approved by the Clark County Commission.
Callaway said it is important to allow the changes to go forward. He said a fair inquest process is needed to secure the public trust by airing out what caused police to use deadly force.
He said if the Legislature approves Assembly Bill 320 and ends coroner's inquests, citizens will blame legislators for passing the bill whenever there is a shooting and the public cannot find answers.
Members of the subcommittee took no action on the bill, proposed by Assemblyman John Hambrick, R-Las Vegas, and endorsed in a hearing Tuesday by the Las Vegas police union. The bill must be approved by the full Assembly Government Affairs Committee by today, or it is dead for the remainder of the session.
Chris Collins, head of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, testified that Gillespie's opposition to the bill should not be "weighed any more heavily" than that of Henderson Police Chief Jutta Chambers, who sent a letter in support of AB320.
In a Tuesday hearing, Collins argued the inquest process isn't needed because the district attorney can look into police killings and determine whether anything was done wrong. The families of victims can file lawsuits, he added.
Clark County is the only one of the 17 Nevada counties with coroner's inquests.
Earlier this year, the County Commission approved changes after inquest juries found officers were justified in two contentious cases: those of Trevon Cole and Erik Scott. Cole was killed by police while unarmed in his apartment, and Scott was killed outside a Costco by officers who said he drew a gun.
An inquest has not been conducted since the County Commission changed the process. The changes included allowing families to have representation at inquests and disclosing investigative files before hearings.
During the Thursday hearing, a line of witnesses besides Callaway asked legislators to kill the bill.
"I am shocked we are here today," said Heather Spaniol, who identified herself as a Las Vegan. "If this is passed, it is a license to kill again as they have done before."
Frank Hawkins, president of the NAACP in Las Vegas, said those who favor the bill "do so out of fear" and called the matter a Clark County issue that legislators should avoid.
"If you change it (the inquest process), the Legislature would be undermining the will of the people of Clark County," said Rebecca Gasca, a lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada. "The public has a right to know what happened when an officer takes a life."
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The sad part for you, and your friends here, is that you see these COPS as uniforms...faceless....nameless....but the truth is they are real men and women.....with families....children......grandchildren......they pay bills....they struggle with life like anyone else. They are human beings. They are doing a job that WE all ask them to do. To roam these streets all night long..waiting to respond in a moments notice should a call come in....they never know the victims...or the suspects....but they will risk it all to arrive and HELP. Its not always pretty.....but the intent, is pretty safe to say around 99% good. Rarely do people show any appreciation...they are hurt onthe job with frightening regularity......Only the deaths tend to make the news, but I have many MEtro friends, with seperated shoulders....ankles, ACL tears, broken arms, shot in the face, leg, hip, shoulder, and thats just off the top of my head. I dont think they ask for your adoration or anything, but maybe...just maybe a little understanding.....but you are incapable......Ive watched this board for several months, and you lurk waiting for any METRO article and you begin your attacks.....now unless you work for the ACLU then you sir, have a personal problem with them. In addition your comments, and knowledge of the arena are highly suspect.....or just plain lies. ...................truth is I feel sad for you, to have such a hollow life....void of any honor, or sacrifice. I think a meeting withthe man in the mirror is in order. NExt time you see a policeman onthe street why dont you walk up and thank him or her. OR are you too good?
BG despite being 42, you are a child. You must not understand combat. You must not understand the law at all. The fact is You are suggesting that a yound man should seek out a career in law enforcement..and risk his life for people he does not know....and then if one night he makes a decision to shoot....which MONTHS later , after every Monday Morning Quarterback in the world has found any MISTAKES at all, that we should subject him to criminal charges, and PRISON!!!!!!1.............................................................................................Find me ONE Cop in the world that would ever fire their weapon in the line of duty....are you even serious!........Its called DE-POLICING , and it would occur!..................
@FRealityKingpin...Why stop with cops. Let's not have anyone charged criminally. After all the victims can just sue in civil court. And who do you think pays those civil judgement? Will the officer cover nit out of his pension. No!!! The taxpayers will have to pay for their "mistakes." And once again you show how small minded your are. When a cop kills without justification, the family of the suspect aren't the only victims, the entire community is. That is why all criminal cases are The People of the State of Nevada v Defendant. As long as officer involved shootings are investigated by their own department and run by a prosecutor beholden to the department, it is a waste of money. Would you trust an investigation into Bernard Madoff's activities that was run by J.P. Morgan Chase?
ZABBIE- You commet proves the inquest works as planned. The inquest is only there to see it the shooting was CRIMINAL. It was not. Was it a MISTAKE....well the Civil court ruled it was and paid the family. That is EXACTLY how the system is to work...the inquest is not a judgement on the officers actions, tactics ...it is only to determine if it was criminal.......The victim then has the opportunity to find recourse in CIVIL courts. Which they did. the problem is people, aclu , Lawyers trying to make a dime, have used the inquest to be a mini TRIAL.....it is NOT a trial...never was..............Inquest is a waste of money......we are the only...or one of a couple that use it....its outdated. Sorry to drop the knowledge on yalls hate parade.
YES....It would be nice if the AIRING out at the inquest helped public feelings.......BUt the FACT is it doesnt......those that are ANTI police will never change.....the Inquest just gives them fodder to rant and rave. That the naivitee here to believe that pandering to that VERY sMALL segment willever do any good. IT WILL NOT. Having the DA review it , like most all other cities is the correct way to go. Period. Sorry, ACLU...theyre taking their ball and going home. They told you what would happen.
@foolio...Intense scrutiny by an independent party. And while I fully understand someone taking lethal action if someone aims a gun at them, I am am at loss when it comes to the officers who kill unarmed suspects, suspects that are in full compliance with the officer's orders or the officer that slits the throats of sleeping homeless men? The FBI/DOJ UCR Crime in the United States report states that there are about 25 reported sexual assaults for every 100 thousand Americans. The National Police Misconduct Statistics and Reporting Project states that their are about 70 reported sexual assaults involving cops for every 100 thousand officers. More than half of the victims of these crimes are underage by the way. While the murder rate of cops comparable to the general population, this rate does not take into account deaths through excessive force. When you include those, you will find that cops kill more than the Gen. Pop by a rate of nearly 500%. And it is interesting to note that Cops are killed by cops more than any other group.
Intense scrutiny?...perhaps like officer Gentner, he was involved in a shooting many years ago and the coroner's inquest was justified, afterwards Gentner was sued 2 times and each time overwhelmingly won. The bottom line is cops are not running around shooting people without just cause. Does there need to be a review of those facts yes, and the way the coroner's inquest was set up originally was that way. A jury of 6 or 7 citizens listened to testimony and were then able to ask officers questions.
@bghs1986; where do you get your figures re: sexual assaults? "A justified shooting should be able to hold up to intense scrutiny." From who's point of view? The family? Any family will hold harsh judgment despite facts. If someone points a gun at you or in any way threatens your life and you act to defend yourself, who am I to judge your actions? What may be reasonable to you in that moment of fear may not seem so reasonable to someone who is watching from a distance without that same fear or who is reading about the story at a later date.
All of this begs the question. Given the differences between the forensic evidence and Brian Yant's testimony during the Coroner's Inquest into the Trevon Cole shooting, why has the DA not presented the case to a grand jury. We just saw a story today where a civilians case was presented to the grand jury because of problems in getting witnesses to testify. Why not do the same thing for Brian Yant.
@Zabbie...While I agree the vast majority of shootings in the history of the Valley were justified, no one in their right mind can look at all 170 or "justified" shootings and not conclude that that the system is rigged. The fact is that cops are charged less, convicted less and serve less time than the average criminal, yet are accused at about the same rate as the general population (with the exception of sexual assault. Cops are three times as likely to commit a sexual assault than the general population). I agree that the CI is a joke. I don't see why investigators from a different county review these shootings, with no reciprocity, or an empowered citizens review panel. A justified shooting should be able to hold up to intense scrutiny.