Monday, November 12, 2012

Las Vegas Police Shoot Man Following Domestic Dispute

According to Action 13 News, Las Vegas Metro Police officers were involved in a shooting on November 11th following a domestic dispute (the full article is available here).  According to the article, LVPD received a call about a domestic disturbance between a man and a woman in the parking lot of the closed Hollywood Park off of East Charleston Blvd.  After removing the woman from the car, the officers shot the man while he remained seated in the vehicle.  It is unclear what prompted the officers to use deadly force, but the man is expected to survive.  According to Las Vegas Sun News, LVPD officers were involved in three shooting in just one week (the Las Vegas Sun article is available here).  The shooting comes just days after another shooting involving the Henderson Nevada Police Department on November 8th (A Las Vegas Review Journal article on that story is available here).  That situation involved a mentally disturbed man who allegedly pointed a gun at SWAT officers during a tense standoff in a drainage ditch across the street from St. Rose Hospital.  The man was shot numerous times by the officers and died of his wounds at the scene.  According to the Las Vegas Review Journal the shooting is the third for the city of Henderson this year.  

Unfortunately, Las Vegas law enforcement officers have been involved in numerous high profile shootings recently.  One notable incident occurred on May 16th of this year when officers shot an unarmed and handcuffed teenager in the back, killing him. Another notorious incident occurred just days before Christmas 2011, when officers shot a Gulf War veteran numerous times in the back of the head with an AR-15 rifle.  It was recently reported that the officers involved in that shooting could face indictment for their actions (our earlier blog post on this incident is available here).  According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, Las Vegas police shot and killed 12 people in 2011 (the report is available here).

The number of law enforcement agencies and personnel has skyrocketed during the past few decades.  Given the increase in agencies and personnel, interaction with law enforcement is simply a daily fact of life for most Americans.  While the majority of law enforcement officers faithfully perform their duties, there are officers who abuse their authority or act in an overly aggressive manner.  Unfortunately, proving that an officer has acted improperly can be an uphill battle. It was recently reported that no officer has ever been held liable by the Las Vegas Police Department following a shooting.  Officers who abuse their authority or act in an overly aggressive manner undermine the public's trust in our justice system putting people who face criminal charges in fear when dealing with authorities.  Often times people's fear of law enforcement causes them to waive their constitutionally protected rights.  Unscrupulous officers will intimidate people into allowing searches without a warrant or to answer questions without an attorney present.  Often times waiving these rights result in criminal charges and convictions which didn't have to happen.

Nevadans who are facing criminal charges need to be accurately advised of their rights.  Nevadans have the right to be free from unreasonable searches, the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney.  The attorneys Connor & Connor Pllc are prepared to defend Nevadans facing criminal charges in either state or federal court.  We serve clients from all socioeconomic backgrounds and we will fight the charges with everything in our power to make sure that your rights are protected.  Our rates are reasonable and the firm is willing to negotiate a payment plan if necessary.  If you are facing criminal charges, contact one of the attorneys at Connor & Connor Pllc as soon as possible for a   consultation.  You may contact the firm at info@connorpllc.com, (702) 430-4614, (702) 749-5992 or visit www.connorpllc.com. You may also visit the firm's page on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/ConnorConnorPllc.

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