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Deadly Force

To shoot or not shoot is quandary for veteran, rookie officers

Police shootings make headlines. Far more common incidents when an officer would be justified in using deadly force, but elects not to, seldom get much attention.

Troubles follow some officers who fire their guns on the job

A Review-Journal examination of all police shootings in Clark County since 1990 found that cops who use their guns sometimes show a pattern of questionable behavior beforehand or land in serious trouble after.

Wrongful death lawsuits rarely filed; families seldom win

The homicide investigation and coroner’s inquest that followed her son’s 1999 shooting death left Connie Perrin angry and dissatisfied, so she sought emotional and financial redress in federal court.

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Inquests undercut by prosecutorial inaction, deference to police

When a citizen in Clark County kills someone, prosecutors are there from the start of the investigation, often looking over the shoulder of detectives even before the body is moved. But when a police officer kills someone, prosecutors are nowhere to be found.

District attorney’s office doesn’t treat police shootings like other Las Vegas homicides

Prosecutors in many American cities step in as the public’s watchdog in the aftermath of a police shooting, but the Clark County district attorney’s office is content to sit on the sidelines. It doesn’t treat shootings by police like other homicides and it won’t even review an officer’s use of deadly force unless the sheriff or a chief of police requests it.

Lives of officer, family forever changed by fatal shooting

The wail of sirens and crack of gunshots were familiar sounds to the apartment dwellers at 2304 Tam Drive. In this area off the north end of the Strip known as the Naked City, it took more than that to get people’s attention.

Critics demand action on disproportionate shootings of blacks

Las Vegas police were involved in 17 shootings in 2003. Ten subjects were black, an unusually high number even for a department that historically shoots a dis­proportionate number of minorities. None of the officers were black.

National data on shootings by police not collected

Want detailed information on how many people were shot by police in the United States last year? That’s not so easy to find.

Las Vegas police rank high in shootings

The Metropolitan Police Department uses deadly force at a higher rate than many other urban police agencies, according to a Review-Journal analysis

FAQ on Deadly Force

Frequently asked questions about the use of deadly force by law enforcement agencies

Case of ex-police officer shows authorities reluctant to take action

In June 1996, Andre Rowe sat in a packed hearing room listening to testimony about the night his father was killed by Las Vegas police officer George “Gregg” Pease, who was in the position of having to explain his third fatal shooting in five years.

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