When a police officer in Las Vegas shoots and kills someone, a clear review process is put into place to evaluate the incident and determine if changes need to be made. However, non-shooting fatalities involving the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department do not always receive the same level of attention. The review process for investigating deaths was originally designed to address incidents involving firearms, but lacks the same scrutiny for non-shooting deaths. This system was established in response to a series published by the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2011, which revealed a pattern of shootings and a lack of officer accountability within the department.
In early 2012, the Las Vegas police department began collaborating with the Justice Department on a review of police practices aimed at reducing officer-involved shootings. This initiative, known as the Collaborative Reform Initiative, resulted in dozens of recommended changes to the department’s policies, focusing primarily on the use of firearms and officer accountability. By the end of 2012, the number of shootings by Las Vegas police had dropped by 37% from the previous year, according to a Justice Department assessment. Experts view the Las Vegas police department as a leading model for police reform in the state due to the emphasis on reducing officer-involved shootings and establishing a detailed review protocol.
When an officer uses deadly force in Las Vegas, a Critical Incident Review Team thoroughly examines the case and provides findings and recommendations related to department policy. A separate Force Investigation Team conducts an investigation into whether the officer’s conduct violated any laws, and the findings are passed on to the district attorney for review. However, in two 2021 restraint deaths, Las Vegas police only completed basic “dead body” reports, without conducting a full investigation. The lack of thorough investigation and review in non-shooting deaths raises concerns about accountability within the department.
Non-shooting deaths resulting from police encounters in Las Vegas are handled differently by the Clark County District Attorney’s Office. The office conducts a legal review of all police shootings to determine if an officer’s conduct was legally justified, but has not issued opinions on nearly half of the non-shooting death cases identified by investigative journalists. The lack of district attorney opinion or review for these cases eliminates a potential avenue for police accountability. Prosecutors rarely pursue charges against officers in these cases, with only one officer facing charges out of 12 identified deaths, and a grand jury ultimately declining to indict him.
The lack of accountability in non-shooting deaths involving Las Vegas police officers raises concerns among experts and community members. Frank Rudy Cooper, a law professor and policing expert at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, emphasizes the need for officers to be held responsible for their actions, especially when wielding deadly force on behalf of the public. The lack of transparency and thorough review in non-shooting deaths highlights the need for reform within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Clark County District Attorney’s Office. Accountability and transparency are key factors in building trust between law enforcement and the community they serve.
