Vol. 3, No. 18
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July 15, 2006
Nevada's Online State News Journal
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COPYWRITING
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Are Clark County Cops Trigger Happy? Or Are Clark County's Criminals Out Of Control?
Questions Being Asked About Number Of Officer Shootings, And About County Coroner Inquest System
Officer involved shootings in Clark County have always been high, above the national average, and some attribute that to the fact that the lifestyle of Las Vegas brings out the worst in people; those that live in the valley, those that visit for the good times. With a local population of 1.3 million the county has had 19 officer involved shootings just since January of this year. Nine of those resulted in the death of a suspect. In all of 2005 there were 12 officer involved shootings and nine deaths.
Since 2001 at least 51 people have died at the hands of the Clark County Metro Police Department and this worries some in the community that feel that all those deaths and shootings may not be fully justified. They are calling for an investigation of the County inquest system that determines whether a police shooting is justified or not. Members of the Las Vegas NAACP, and Nevada ACLU and other local organizations are attempting to raise concerns about investigation and accountability related to officer involved shootings. A conference on the issue was held July 11 to discuss the issue.
What brought the issue to a head was the recent shooting of a 17-year-old. The youth was shot in the back while handcuffed, but supposedly running away. The shooting was ruled justifiable at a coroner's inquest. According to those at the conference, the coroner's inquest process is supposed to be the main vehicle to investigate officer involved shootings and determine if police actions were justified. There have been discrepancies in testimony in past proceedings they say, and some people have died without justifiable action. Because of the large number of shooting deaths at the hands of police, new questions are being raised about the process by which these incidents are investigated. "We want to make sure that we have a process in which all of the questions are answered so that there can be real accountability within our law enforcement system" said Dean Ishman, President of the Las Vegas NAACP.
The Clark County Commission will begin its own investigation and have a report available by August 1 according to Chairman Rory Reid. There are large differences between a coroner's inquest and other investigations. Some parts of the inquest process are under state law while others are by county code. The inquest process is non-adversarial meaning only one side of the issue is looked at. Critics at the recent conference say this one sided approach doesn't allow for any witnesses or testimony other than that presented by the district attorney.
For instance on July 9 Shawn Collins was shot to death as Clark County officers pumped off 29 rounds saying he had pulled a gun from a back pocket. Witnesses at the scene said Collins didn't pull anything from his pocket. Those witnesses may not be heard at a coroner's inquest unless the D.A. calls them. No other attorneys will be able to present any kind of evidence. Clark County District Attorney David Roger says he doesn't believe his office is biased in favor of police.
In 2001 and 2002 there were 24 officer involved shootings each year with seven deaths each year. If 2006 continues at its current rate, there may be as many as 38 shootings and 18 deaths. It was 2004 that saw the most deaths, ten from officer involved shootings. There were 21 incidents that year.
A city with a comparable population, Philadelphia, PA has had 15 officer related shootings so far this year with just two deaths while Houston, TX with almost twice the population of Las Vegas has had just three officer involved shootings, but eight people died in the fracases. One thing that stands out in Clark County is the large number of gangs and gang related crimes coupled with millions of tourists, some coming to the area with crime in mind. The static population might be 1.3 million, but police agencies must also take into account millions of visitors.
Police also believe the high incidence of methamphetamine use in the county has led to the large numbers of small time criminals becoming violent, even aggressive in their behavior around police. Sheriff Young believes that almost every crime in Clark County can be traced back to the use of meth. "A user will do anything to get another hit." That philosophy many believe is what has led to the large increase in violence involved in what might actually be called a small time crime. Those robbing a convenience store of a paltry $50 end up in a shoot-out with the cops, and die in the process. Those on meth are not in control of their faculties, and will, as the sheriff pointed out do what ever it takes to get their next hit.
Whatever the causes, many hope that the just completed conference on officer involved shootings coupled with an investigation of coroner inquest proceedings will shed light on why so many people are dying on the streets of Clark County.
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