Man who died in police shooting remembered on billboards

Motorists might see his smiling face and neatly combed red hair depicted on digital billboards throughout the Las Vegas Valley.

But Erik Scott is not running for office, nor is he trying to sell you a product.

Scott's family and friends are hoping his face becomes a symbol for truth, the truth surrounding the circumstances of his July 10 death.

To that end, seven digital billboards flashing Scott's profile with the message "Let the Truth be Known!" were launched at midnight Friday .

They are displayed in high-traffic areas such as Interstate 15 and Charleston Boulevard, the Las Vegas Beltway at I-15, and near the interchange of U.S. Highway 95 and I-15.

Scott, 38, was fatally shot by three Las Vegas police officers outside a busy Costco in Summerlin.

Scott, who had a permit to carry concealed weapons, was shot after pointing a pistol at officers, police said. Police added that he ignored their commands to put his hands up and drop to the ground.

Mike Pusateri, who knew Scott for more than a decade, said the billboards will keep Scott's death in the public's memory before a jury is convened during a Clark County coroner's inquest Sept. 3. Inquest jurors will decide if the officers' actions were justified, excusable or criminal.

"We are trying to keep this fresh in people's minds," Pusateri said Friday. "A lot of people in the community want to know why this happened."

He said the billboards will run for four weeks. They cost $3,300, money raised by family and friends.

Pusateri said the billboard will also give out a number in which potential witnesses can call and speak directly to Scott's family.

Police have said they have interviewed about 40 witnesses, and more than a dozen said they saw Scott point a gun at officers.

Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.