Ex-officers plead innocent in casino incident

Two former North Las Vegas police officers pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges related to a beating incident at the Cannery in December.

Mark Miles and James Balelo are charged with false report by public officer, a gross misdemeanor.

Miles is charged also with oppression under the color of office, a felony, in connection with allegations of slapping a casino patron repeatedly and slamming him to the ground face first while handcuffed.

Authorities allege that Miles and Balelo then wrote in their report that the victim, Luis Vargas, was resisting arrest though a surveillance video of the incident contradicted that claim.

As of March, Miles and Balelo no longer were employed by the police department.

Miles and Balelo were called Dec. 6 to the casino at the intersection of Craig and Losee roads to deal with a rowdy bar patron from California.

Vargas already was handcuffed and in a holding cell at the casino when the officers arrived.

While in the holding cell at the casino, Miles, without provocation, repeatedly slapped Vargas and baited him to fight, according to the arrest report filed against the officers.

The reports that the officers filed alleged Vargas had threatened them and attempted to bite and spit on them.

According to the arrest report filed against the officers, they made up threatening quotes and attributed them to Vargas in their reports.

The surveillance showed that he was compliant with the two officers' requests and did not make any threats, according to the arrest report.

Miles was released on an $8,000 bond, and Balelo was released on a $3,000 bond.

A trial date was set for Jan. 4 before District Judge Kathy Hardcastle.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.