Affidavit alleges detective bought marijuana from man officer killed

In four transactions over five weeks, an undercover detective bought $840 in marijuana from Trevon Cole, according to a search warrant affidavit unsealed Friday.

Those drug deals -- which totaled 1.8 ounces of marijuana -- led to a late-night police raid on Cole's East Bonanza Road apartment June 11, where the 21-year-old was shot and killed by Las Vegas police detective Bryan Yant.

According to the affidavit, which was unsealed after an attorney for Cole's family filed a court motion, an undercover detective first made contact with a suspect known as "Big," later identified as Cole, on April 28.

Cole and the detective met in the area of Desert Inn and Fort Apache roads, where 4.1 grams of marijuana changed hands for $60.

The affidavit said the detective and Cole met again on May 19 near Cole's apartment complex, where the detective bought 21.5 grams of marijuana, paying Cole $380.

The detective again contacted Cole on May 26 and June 3, looking to buy almost $400 in marijuana. Cole did not have enough marijuana in May and said he needed to contact his supplier, the affidavit said.

In June, Cole sold $400 worth of marijuana -- 27.2 grams -- to the detective.

In the affidavit, Yant wrote that police considered it likely that the raid would turn up more drugs, scales, bags and elaborate records such as "owe" sheets related to narcotic sales.

Yant also wrote that Cole had a "lengthy criminal history" for drug trafficking in both Houston and Los Angeles, and would have firearms to protect his drugs and money. A night raid would be preferable, Yant wrote, to ensure the safety of children and other residents in the complex.

Andre Lagomarsino, the attorney representing Cole's fiancee and family, said there were several errors in the affidavit -- that Cole had no criminal history and was actually out of state on May 19, when police claimed to have bought marijuana from him.

The family told the attorney that Cole was in Los Angeles for his fiancee's baby shower. Family picked him up at an L.A. bus station on May 14, and the couple returned to Las Vegas on May 20, he said.

The attorney also noted that the marijuana buys were small, and police recovered little in the raid.

According to the search warrant return, officers seized an undisclosed amount of marijuana, digital scales and $702 in cash, but found no transaction records or weapons.

"No matter what the search warrant says, it doesn't contain a justification for shooting an unarmed man in the face with an assault rifle," Lagomarsino said.

Cole's fiancee has said Cole was unarmed, was on his knees in a bathroom and had his hands raised when Yant fired a single shot from an AR-15 rifle, striking him in the head.

Police said in a statement that Cole made a "furtive movement" toward the officer.

It was Yant's third shooting -- and second fatal shooting -- in 10 years with the department. In 2002, an inquest jury ruled Yant's fatal shooting of Richard Travis Brown was justified despite a serious discrepancy between his story and evidence at the scene.

A coroner's inquest on Cole's death is set for Aug. 20.

Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283. Contact reporter Lawrence Mower at lmower@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0440.