Court releases pawn shop shooting video

More evidence in the case of a Las Vegas pawn shop owner facing murder charges for fatally shooting a thief was made public Friday.

Surveillance video released by District Court on Friday shows the thief being shot at the pawn shop as he's running out the door of the store.

The shooter isn't visible in the video but authorities have said shop owner Victor Park, 59, pulled the trigger.

A grand jury indicted Park in the death of 21-year-old Thomas Cola in March.

Park pleaded not guilty to the charges Monday.

The video was shot from surveillance cameras inside Sahara Pawn at Sahara Avenue and Jones Boulevard on Jan. 30 at a little after 5 p.m.

The video shows Cola dressed in a green shirt and cap. He's seen milling around the store briefly before he runs toward the exit.

Authorities said Cola had stolen a $1,290 Cartier-brand watch from the store.

Cola is seen slamming into the closed door of the pawn shop and bouncing off it. The door opens and Cola crosses the threshold of the exit. At that moment, a muzzle flash from a handgun appears in the upper corner of the surveillance image.

Cola then falls to the ground outside the pawn shop.

The entire incident lasts about a minute. Cola was unarmed at the time of the shooting.

Authorities said Park shot Cola in the back. Park's previous attorney said Cola had a bullet wound about four inches to the left of the midline of his back.

Clark County District Attorney David Roger declined to comment on the surveillance tape.

However, he previously has stated that under Nevada law, people may use deadly force to protect themselves or others in life-threatening situations. But Nevada citizens are not allowed to use deadly force to recover property.

Park, contacted at the pawn shop Friday, directed all calls to his lawyer. Park is currently out of custody on $100,000 bail.

His attorney, Ross Goodman, declined to comment.

The grand jury was shown the surveillance video during the March grand jury proceedings.

The grand jury also heard from several police officers, including Las Vegas police officer Trevor Nettleton. Park told officers that he had fired the fatal round that killed Cola, Nettleton said.

But authorities also testified that Park had been the victim of robberies before at the store. In one robbery, Park had been shot in the head by an assailant, authorities said.

Cola was shot by a Glaser Safety Slug, a fragmentation bullet that's used to cause large, shallow wounds but not necessarily penetrating wounds.

Glaser Safety Slugs are known to be used by business owners and others in high-density urban areas who fear a bullet will penetrate a target and strike a bystander or damage property.

Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.