With pepper balls, tear gas and people being tackled during largely peaceful protests, some are questioning whether Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department police have added to the tension on the streets of Las Vegas.
Darcy Spears investigates.
SOME ARE QUESTIONING WHETHERMETRO POLICE HAVE ADDED TOTHE TENSION ON THE STREETS OFLAS VEGAS.13 CHIEF INVESTIGATOR DARCYSPEARS TOOK FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTSAND PROTESTOR VIDEOS - TO METROLEADERSHIP TO QUESTION THEIRROLE IN THE CIVIL UNREST.AT FIRST, ALEJANDRO ROSALES'VIDEO FROM MAY 29 IS PRETTYBORING.3:16:48 ALEJANDRO: FRIDAY IKIND OF JUST WENT TO OBSERVE.IT'S THE SECOND NIGHT OFPROTESTS IN LAS VEGAS AND FORABOUT FOUR MINUTES, /NAT/ALEJANDRO STANDS ON THESIDEWALK, NARRATING THE SCENE.18:54 ALEJANDRO: THERE WAS THEBICYCLIST THAT CROSSED THESTREET.THERE WAS THE COUPLE THATWALKED DOWN THE STREET, SO IWAS LIKE, OKAY, IT'S OKAY TOCROSS THE STREET.TURNS OUT, IT WASN'T.ALEJANDRO'S VIDEO CUTS OUTMOMENTS AFTER HE'S TACKLED BY AMETRO OFFICER IN RIOT GEAR.NO ORDERS, NO WARNING.22:38 ALEJANDRO: I'M NOTINSTIGATING ANYTHING.I WAS LITERALLY THERE, TO MYKNOWLEDGE, AS A LEGAL OBSERVER.AND THEN THAT HAPPENED SO I WASJUST IN SHOCK.HE WAS ARRESTED, CHARGED WITHFAILURE TO DISPERSE AND TAKENTO JAIL.19:08 ALEJANDRO: TO THIS DAY IDON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHY.A JUDGE DIDN'T UNDERSTANDEITHER.AT LEAST NOT THE PART ABOUTBAIL ALEJANDRO HAD TO POST.2:44:26 DARCY STAND-UP: THECHIEF JUDGE OF LAS VEGASJUSTICE COURT ISSUED ANADMINISTRATIVE ORDER ABOUT THEMISDEMEANOR ARRESTS THAT HAD TOPOST BAIL.SHE CALLED IT A CLERICAL ERRORAND SAID THAT 25 DIFFERENTPEOPLE WERE DUE REFUNDS OFTHEIR BAIL AMOUNT IN THEINTEREST OF JUSTICE.WE TOOK ALEJANDRO'S VIDEO ANDOTHERS TO METRO CAPTAIN NICHOLESPLINTER.41:20 D: WHEN THIS GENTLEMANGOES--AND WAITS HIS TURN TOCROSS IN THE CROSSWALK--HE ISTACKLED BY AN OFFICER ANDSUBSEQUENTLY ARRESTED.FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT AREWE SEEING IN THAT VIDEO?
CAPT.SPLINTER: THE VIDEOS THAT YOUSENT ME WERE ACTUALLY MY FIRSTTIME SEEING THOSE AND I DON'THAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT.I KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW I BELIEVETHERE ARE 17 CASES THAT AREACTUALLY IN INTERNAL AFFAIRSTHAT PEOPLE HAVE SUBMITTEDVIDEOS FOR.SPLINTER SAYS THE DEPARTMENT ISCOMMITTED TO INVESTIGATINGQUESTIONABLE POLICE CONDUCT INSCENES LIKE THESE.../NAT POP FROM VIDEO WHERE COPTHROWS WOMAN TO THE GROUND ASTHEY ARREST HER BOYFRIEND/AND THESE./NAT POP/ LIKE ALEJANDRO, THISMAN WAS TACKLED BY AN OFFICERAND DRAGGED AWAY AFTER CROSSINGTHE STREET./NAT POP/ 43:21 CAPT.SPLINTER: IT WAS THE FIRSTTIME I SAW THAT ONE AS WELL ANDAGAIN, I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWERFOR WHY THAT OCCURRED.ANOTHER MAN WAS THREATENEDWHILE FILMING AN ARREST.:42 PROTESTER UNDER ARREST: ALLI DID WAS SAY "NO JUSTICE, NOPEACE," THAT'S ALL I DID.AND I GOT TACKLED AND TOLD IWAS RESISTING AND I DIDN'TRESIST ANYTHING.COP TO GUY FILMING: YOU'RENEXT.PROTECT AND SERVE?
2:07:22 COP:YOU CAN GO NOW OR YOU'RE GOING!ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS ASK ME.THAT'S THE FIRST TIME YOU ASKEDME.I'M JUST A PERSON LIKE YOU,MAN.
I'M LEAVING.AFTER HE TURNS AND CONTINUESWALKING AWAY, LAW ENFORCEMENTFIRES PEPPER BALLS.GUY FILIMING: JESUS CHRIST!JESUS MAN!
WHAT THE F#K?
WHATTHE F#K DUDE?!
NOBODY'S DOINGS&%T!
YOU ALREADY GOTEVERYBODY IN HANDCUFFS!
41:58CAPT.SPLINTER: WE SEE THE LITTLESNIPPETS OF VIDEO BUT WE NEEDTO GET A BIGGER CLEARER PICTUREAS TO WHAT'S GOING ON AND THENTHOSE OFFICERS ARE GOING TOHAVE TO COME IN ANDARTICULATE THE ACTIONS THATTHEY TOOK THAT DAY.SO WE HAVE TO LET THAT PROCESSPLAY THROUGH WITH INTERNALAFFAIRS AND SEE IF THOSEOFFICERS ARE SUSTAINED FORUSING ANY KIND OF EXCESSIVEFORCE THAT NIGHT OR DURING THEPROTESTS.METRO'S USE OF FORCE POLICY WASUPDATED JUST TWO WEEKS BEFORETHE PROTESTS BEGAN.IT SAYS, "AN OFFICER'S USE OFFORCE MUST BALANCE AGAINST THELEVEL OF RESISTANCE EXHIBITEDBY THE SUBJECT.AND TAKE INTO ACCOUNT "THENATURE AND SEVERITY OF THECRIME UNDERLYING THE POLICE ANDCITIZEN INTERACTION." 50:11DARCY: IT'S HARD TO BALANCETHAT.CAN YOU UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLETHAT ARE SEEING THESE VIDEOSAND DOING AS I DO AND READINGTHEPOLICY MIGHT HAVE DIFFICULTYMESHING THE TWO?
CAPT.SPLINTER: ABSOLUTELY.SHE EMPHASIZES THAT THERE ISROOM FOR CHANGE, BUT SAYS IT'SALREADY INPROGRESS--HIGHLIGHTING METRO'STRACK RECORD OF REFORM,REDUCTION IN OFFICER-INVOLVEDSHOOTINGS AND INCREASED USE OFLESS LETHAL FORCE.53:17 CAPT.SPLINTER: WE'RE NOT PERFECT ATALL.WE WILL MAKE MISTAKES.BUT THIS DEPARTMENT ISEXTREMELY SINCERE IN WANTING TOBE THE BEST .THE SHERIFF IS ADAMANT ONWANTING TO BE TRANSPARENT ANDHOLDING OUR OFFICERSACCOUNTABLE.THE PUBLIC DEMANDS IT AND WE DOTHE BEST WE CAN.ALEJANDRO ROSALES IS ADDING HISVOICE TO THOSE DEMANDS, HELPINGTO PROPOSE NEW STATE LAW.AMONG OTHER THINGS,THE BILL'S AUTHORS WANT EVERYPOLICE OFFICER IN THE STATE TOHAVE A BODY-WORN CAMERA, WHICHMUST BE ACTIVATED ANY TIME THEYINTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC.23:42 ALEJANDRO: THE STUFFWE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE ISJUST ACCOUNTABILITY FORAUTHORITY.SO THAT STUFF LIKE THIS DOESN'THAPPEN AGAIN WHEN PEOPLE AREJUST TRYING TO BE HEARD.DARCY SPEARS, 13INVESTIGATES.METRO LEADERSHIP SAYS POLICEACCOUNTABILITY COULDHAVE BEEN STRONGER--- BUTA BILL THAT PASSED IN THE LASTLEGISLATIVE SESSION ALTEREDTHAT.TOMORROW--13 INVESTIGATESLAWMAKERS AND THEIR POSSIBLEROLE IN ALL OF THIS.TODAY -KICKS OFF - MONSOON
Attorneys Will League and Chris Wooten discuss First Amendments rights in regards to protests.
