Ex-Metro officer Brady gets nine years

Kim Smith

Tuesday, Nov. 23, 1999 | 10:52 a.m.

Former Metro Police officer Christopher Brady stood mute Monday when he was sentenced to nine years in prison for the death of Daniel Mendoza. His father didn't, however.

Mike Brady, himself a law enforcement officer, stood up before U.S. District Judge Philip Pro and a dozen of Mendoza's family members and said his son is not a racist.

Ignoring the snorts of disbelief from the gallery, Mike Brady said his son may have signed a plea agreement, but the parts that refer to his son's hatred of minorities is blatantly false.

"That part is a lie. It was the day Chris signed it and it will be from now on," Mike Brady said.

According to authorities, Brady, 27, and his former partner, Ron Mortensen, 33, set out in the early morning hours of Dec. 28, 1996, with the intent of harassing Hispanics.

Mendoza, 21, died of a gunshot wound in the chest when Mortensen fired a weapon from the vehicle in which Brady was driving. Mortensen was convicted as the gunman in 1997 and is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole in a prison out of state.

Brady pleaded guilty in August to one count of conspiracy to violate the fair housing and equal property rights of Hispanic residents of Las Vegas.

Mike Brady said the racism myth was floated by the prosecution because they needed to "cinch up" the case and it was perpetuated by the media.

"Chris has always had a rainbow of friends," including some Hispanic friends who still support him, Mike Brady said.

Brady's father went on to express his sorrow for the Mendoza family, but noted that "my loss is not as complete as Mr. Mendoza's, but it's still a loss."

Earlier in the hearing, Ramon Mendoza, through an interpreter, told Pro that prison sentences will not bring his son back.

"The decision you make I will respect," Mendoza said. "I have no anger toward this person for what he did to my son because I have left it in God's hands. From God's justice, he will not be able to get away."

Before pronouncing his sentence, Pro told Christopher Brady that he received "letter after letter after letter" telling him what a wonderful person he was and how he didn't have a "racist bone in his body." But, he also heard of instances in which Brady spoke of going on "marauding missions" and told disparaging racial jokes.

"You are a contradiction to me," Pro said.

Pro went on to say that thousands of good police officers who put their lives on the line have "suffered mightily" because of what Brady and others like him have done.

The plea agreement was "fair," Pro said.

Although Brady could have gotten anywhere from eight to 10 years under federal sentencing guidelines, lawyers for each side worked out a deal where Brady would get nine years. He must serve 7 1/2 years before becoming eligible for release.

Pro also ordered Brady to pay $6,000 restitution, serve five years supervised release and perform 150 hours of community service.

Because the Bureau of Prisons will need extra time to find a prison safe enough for Brady, Pro gave him until Jan. 6 to turn himself into authorities. Bureau of Prison authorities have already said that because of Brady's law enforcement background he will not serve time in Nevada.