My News 3
Tuesday June 21, 2011 4:39pm PDT
Denise Rosch reporting
Las Vegas’ police union said Tuesday that it will challenge changes made to the coroner’s inquest reviews of officer-involved deaths, saying that officers’ rights are being violated.
The LVMPD’s Police Protective Association announced a hefty petition to stop the next hearing from moving forward.
In this hearing, slated for July 12, an ombudsman will be asking questions for the family of the deceased. It was one of the key changes made to the process following two controversial shootings, including the death of Erik Scott in front of a Summerlin Costco.
What has long been a fact-finding proceeding, the union says, has morphed into an adversarial one.
“We believe that our officers’ rights are being violated,” union executive director Chris Collins said. “Their constitutional protections are being stepped on, and we've asked that the court to remedy that situation for us.”
If the next coroner’s inquest proceeds with the new guidelines, officers who have been accused of nothing and charged with nothing are now on trial in the court of public opinion.
“I myself am a card carrying member of the ACLU,” union attorney Joshua Reisman said. “But it's our position this statute goes too far in promoting the interest of the deceased persons’ families at the expense of officers’ civil liberties.”
Retired District Court Judge David Wall is slated to serve as ombudsman in the July 12 inquest hearing involving the death of Benjamin Bowman, who was shot in a November robbery and hostage situation at a bar.
Judge Wall said the union’s petition sends the wrong message to the public.
“It perpetuates the idea that under the old procedure, the tough questions weren't getting asked.”
A district court judge will be asked to set a hearing following the union’s petition filing, listen to both sides, and ultimately decide if the next inquest moves forward.
Police union: Our rights 'violated' in new inquest process
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