Investigators probe police crash

Wednesday, July 1, 1998 | 9:18 a.m.

Investigators also confirmed that they are trying to find someone who can verify officer Edward Jones' story that he had activated his siren and emergency lights before hitting 34-year-old Anthony Brazil.

Sgt. Curt Albert, traffic investigator, said Jones, 35, had made a traffic stop just before being called to an emergency and hitting Brazil. The person he stopped, Albert said, might be able to confirm that Jones had his lights and siren on as he sped away.

"Whatever we find, the bottom line is ... we're going to present the facts and let the chips fall as they may," he said.

The facts could one day be heard in court, as Brazil's family has hired Las Vegas attorney Edward Bernstein to represent them.

Bernstein said Tuesday he noticed there were no skid marks at the accident scene.

It indicates that the officer wasn't looking or was going so fast he didn't have time to react, he said.

Bernstein also said his office has been contacted by someone who claimed to have seen Jones racing down the road just before the accident without his lights or siren on. Bernstein emphasized that the story has not been verified.

The speed limit on Industrial Road, where the accident occurred, is 35 mph. Investigators have confirmed that Jones was speeding.

Police on Tuesday were having Jones' car weighed and checked mechanically to help determine his speed at the time he hit Brazil. Albert said a speed estimate likely will be available early next week.

At the same time, Bernstein said his office will begin its own investigation. Ultimately, he added, this case could test the state's decades-old limitations on damages awarded to people who file civil lawsuits against public employees. Currently, Bernstein said, damages in Nevada are limited to $50,000.

It isn't the first time Jones' actions have been scrutinized. In September 1996, he and another officer fatally shot Gerry Waje who, with two steak knives in hand, ran toward them in a threatening manner. A Clark County coroner's inquest determined the shooting was justified.

Saturday's traffic accident occurred just before 1 a.m. as Brazil rode his motorcycle west of McCarran International Airport.

A traffic investigator said Sunday that Jones hit Brazil after going through a series of curves.

Brazil, a magician and performer in the Caesars Palace production Magical Empire, was born in New Jersey and moved to Las Vegas two years ago.