Police board finds shooting into clothing a violation

Keith Paul

Friday, June 9, 2000 | 11:09 a.m.

Metro Police's use-of-force board ruled Thursday night an officer violated department guidelines when he fired two shots into a pile of clothing during a traffic stop in April.

Another officer's actions were ruled justified when he used his patrol car to spin out a car that was moving recklessly and whose driver fled from officers while driving the wrong way on Lake Mead Boulevard, heading into oncoming traffic.

The seven-member board -- composed of four citizens and three officers -- decided Officer Nathan Chio's actions were not justified when he fired two shots during an April 19 traffic stop, Lt. Marc Joseph, a department spokesman, said.

"The use-of-force board made a recommendation to the sheriff on the discipline the officer faces," Joseph said.

Joseph said he could not reveal what punishment Chio, 28, faces because it is a personnel matter, but he did say the officer will have some re-training.

Chio, an officer since 1996, and his partner pulled over a car in the area of Pecos Road and Las Vegas Boulevard North. The 1985 Lincoln Town Car was stopped because a computer check showed the registered owner of the car was wanted on a probation-violation warrant, police said.

The driver was ordered out of the car, but the officers said they believed there was another person in the car hiding in the back seat. The windows of the car were darkly tinted and the officers could not see inside, police said.

Chio yelled several orders for anyone in the car to exit. He entered the car and saw a large pile of clothing on the back seat. Chio dislodged some of the clothing, making him believe someone was hiding in the back seat. He fired two shots after some of the clothing fell from the seat, police said.

No one was in the car and there were no injuries. The driver was not arrested when it was determined he had bought the car from the wanted suspect.

In the other case, Officer Mike Jeffries was cleared for spinning out a car driving recklessly in the area of Nellis Boulevard and East Lake Mead Boulevard on March 15, Officer Tirso Dominguez, a department spokesman, said.

Jeffries attempted to stop the car, but the driver fled and attempted to ram the patrol car, police said.

The driver then drove off on the wrong side of the street heading at oncoming traffic, police said.

Jeffries, an officer since 1996, spun out the fleeing car, causing it to hit a utility pole. Three teenagers in the car were arrested, and police determined the car was reported stolen two days before, police said.

A use-of-force board hearing is standard in all officer-involved shootings or use of deadly force, including if a death is involved and that death has been ruled justified by a Clark County coroner's inquest.