Four officers’ quick response honored
Four Las Vegas police officers received the first of two awards Tuesday recognizing their performance in a June 2008 police chase that turned deadly.
Metropolitan Police Department officers Jason Hansen, Christian Jackson and Russell Laws and Sgt. Steve Custer received the Unit Meritorious Service Award.
They will receive a second accolade next week in the nation's capital.
On June 5, police responded to an early morning call to the Penthouse Club on Russell Road near Interstate 15, where 29-year-old Dominic Nieto had been involved in an altercation with a manager. When police officer Blake Penny showed up, Nieto fled, and Penny gave chase. After Nieto's Hummer H3 overturned in the desert, he fired shots at Penny, police said.
Penny returned fire. When he was struck above the knee, he continued firing, hitting the suspect. The four other officers arrived on the scene shortly after Penny was struck, confirmed that Nieto was dead and provided first aid for Penny.
Custer, who has been an officer for 36 years, said training takes over when you hear the phrase "shots fired, officer down." When he arrived on the scene, Penny had fallen and was lying half in and half out of his car.
"It makes your adrenaline go and your heart pump," he said in an interview after Tuesday's ceremony. "You play (perform) as you practice, and that is the honest-to-God truth."
The four officers received their award in front of many of their fellow officers and camera-wielding family and friends.
"It's a milestone for my career as well as these guys," Custer said, motioning to the three officers standing beside him.
Penny, who also was in the audience Tuesday, received the department's Purple Heart Award in November for his injuries.
In August, a coroner's inquest jury ruled Penny acted justifiably when he shot and killed Nieto.
Penny will join the four officers as they are honored by the National Association of Police Organizations next week in Washington, D.C., where they will receive an honorable mention for the national Top Cop Award.
"Cops are a weird group," Custer said. "As the pressure mounts, we get better."
Contact reporter Maggie Lillis at mlillis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.
