Woman says former officer was predator with a badge

Friday, June 6, 1997 | 5:47 a.m.

Carye Morris said Brady threatened to plant evidence incriminating her unless she kept quiet about the incident.

Brady was with former partner Ron Mortensen when Daniel Mendoza was shot to death in a Las Vegas neighborhood last December. Mortensen was convicted of murder in the case. Brady was never charged, and was the key witness against Mortensen.

Morris said she was driving to Los Angeles for a doctor's appointment when Brady stopped her on a Las Vegas street during the pre-dawn hours last October.

She said he handcuffed her and was taking her to jail on an outstanding traffic warrant when he pulled into an alley between some warehouses.

"He (Brady) told me to get on my knees and said, 'You are going to (perform a sex act),' " Morris said. "I could hear him playing with his belt and at that point I couldn't even stand to look because I knew what he meant. He pulled his pants down to his knees and said, 'Now I'm ready for you to (perform a sex act),' and I looked up at him and I started crying."

Clark County District Attorney Stewart Bell said Thursday the Las Vegas police sexual assault detail was reopening an investigation into Morris' complaint. Earlier, police contended there wasn't enough evidence to support criminal charges against Brady.

Mortensen arrived on the scene of the traffic stop as the backup officer and Morris said he commented "cute girl."

"I refuse to dignify this story by commenting," said Brady's attorney, Nancy Allf. She said previously that if there was any truth to the complaint, police would have acted upon it during their initial investigation.

But Metro Capt. Charles Davidaitis said police are honoring Bell's request and are again looking into the complaint.

Mortensen's attorney, Frank Cremen, said police have not interviewed his client, who is now behind bars. But, "If he is approached by police he will cooperate fully," Cremen said.

Mortensen contended during his murder trial that it was Brady who fired the shot that killed Mendoza. Both officers, who were off duty at the time, resigned from the force following the Mendoza killing.

In recounting the alleged sexual harassment incident, Morris said Brady stopped her car and ordered her out, then pulled her purse from the vehicle and searched her pockets. Morris said Brady told her she had an outstanding traffic warrant and that she was going to jail.

Brady found an empty plastic baggy in her purse and ended up filing a drug paraphernalia charge against her. The charge was later dismissed before Morris even made an initial court appearance. She pleaded guilty to the traffic violation.

About the alleged assault, she said, "At first I resisted, but then he said, 'I've got a gun and a baton inside to make you do this,' and he grabbed the back of my neck and it really started to hurt. Finally I just gave in because it hurt so bad. I kept my eyes closed."

Shortly after the incident, Brady put a bag in her hand that looked to her like it contained drugs, Morris claimed.

"He just put it (the bag) in my hand for a second and I said, 'That's not mine,' " Morris said. "He said, 'I know it's not, but I wanted to show you how hard I can make it on you.' "

Morris said she waited until March, after Brady had resigned from the police department following the Mendoza scandal, because she was afraid for her safety and hoped her memories "would just go away."

She said she went to police after she revealed the incident to an officer in another state, and he vowed to go to police if she didn't.