Federal civil rights lawsuit accuses Metro cop of excessive force

A Los Angeles woman claims a Las Vegas police officer choked her and smashed her face into a glass tabletop in August outside a Strip nightclub.

Ariana Mason, 21, said she filed a civil rights lawsuit against the officer in an effort to stand up for herself and seek justice.

“What happened to me was wrong, and I don’t want it to happen to anybody else,” she said at a news conference Thursday.

Mason was joined by relatives as she talked to reporters about her case outside the law offices of her attorney, Brent Bryson. Her lawsuit was filed Wednesday in federal court against the Metropolitan Police Department and officer S. Izzo.

According to the complaint, Izzo subjected Mason to excessive force during the late hours of Aug. 15 or early hours of Aug. 16 after an event at 1 OAK Nightclub inside The Mirage.

The incident was caught on video by surveillance cameras at the resort, and Bryson released a copy of the video Thursday.

Sheriff Joseph Lombardo declined to comment, saying he had not seen the video and was not aware of the lawsuit.

A department spokesman said Shawn Izzo’s employment began in July 2006, and the officer is currently assigned to the Northwest Area Command patrol division.

Mason said she went to 1 OAK Nightclub on Aug. 15 because her boyfriend was performing. She identified her boyfriend by his stage name, DJ Tech.

Although she was 20 at the time, Mason said no one asked her for identification. She recalled having a couple of drinks at the nightclub.

After the performance, several people left the nightclub to take pictures in front of the event signage. While the pictures were being taken, according to Mason’s lawsuit, an altercation broke out “between people associated with the event and security officers.”

One of Mason’s female friends was “caught up” in the altercation, according to the document, and was attacked by security personnel.

“One of the security officers attacking Ariana’s friend was a female security officer. In an attempt to stop the attack, Ariana grabbed the female security officer by her jacket to separate her from Ariana’s friend,” according to the complaint.

The lawsuit claims Izzo then attacked Mason from behind.

Without warning or giving any verbal commands, according to the document, Izzo pulled Mason away from the female security officer and placed his forearm around the front of her throat.

“Officer Izzo then threw Ariana to the ground and maintained Ariana in a choke hold and actually drug Ariana by the neck across the floor outside of 1 Oak for several feet,” the lawsuit alleges.

Although she lay calmly on the ground, according to the lawsuit, Izzo continued to apply the choke hold. As Mason felt her oxygen supply become more restricted, the document alleges, she “became extremely anxious.”

“At this time Ariana struggles free and has tunnel vision focusing only on her assailant’s face,” according to the lawsuit. “Ariana is oblivious to her surroundings including Officer Izzo wearing a LVMPD uniform. Ariana instinctively punches Officer Izzo several times in the face to keep her assailant away from her. Officer Izzo also swings at Ariana during this exchange.”

Mason said Izzo never identified himself as a police officer during the incident.

“When he came behind me, I didn’t know who was attacking me from behind, and all I did was try to defend myself,” she said. “I feel as if the way he reacted was completely unnecessary, and it shouldn’t have happened like that. He should have had more control under the situation, instead of escalating it and making it ten times worse.”

Izzo and others eventually handcuffed Mason, according to the lawsuit, which claims Izzo then escorted her to a round, marble table with a glass cover and bent her over the table.

“Officer Izzo then (inexplicably) stands behind Ariana in between her spread legs while Ariana’s hands are handcuffed behind her back,” according to the document, which claims the officer then smashed her face into the table multiple times.

The force caused either the glass tabletop or a drinking glass on the table to break, the lawsuit alleges. According to the document, Mason had pieces of glass lodged in her face and two broken teeth.

Bryson described Izzo’s actions as “retaliatory type of conduct.”

“Once Ariana was handcuffed with her hands behind her back, she was not a threat,” the attorney stressed.

He said Mason filed an internal affairs complaint, but the department ratified Izzo’s conduct. The lawsuit claims Izzo lacked proper training and supervision.

Bryson said Mason has undergone several surgeries to repair her face. She was charged with battery on a protected person, but prosecutors have dismissed the charge.

Mason said she graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in June 2013 and currently does freelance work in the fashion industry. Her parents and an aunt joined her at Thursday’s news conference.

Reporter Colton Lochhead contributed to this report. Contact Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710. Find her on Twitter: @CarriGeer