Lawsuits allege rough UNLV police conduct

Kim Smith

Wednesday, June 14, 2000 | 11:42 a.m.

Two lawsuits were filed against the UNLV Police Department Tuesday by women claiming they were treated roughly during separate incidents.

Denise Marie Jaramillo alleges that UNLV police unlawfully restrained, detained and searched her while she was covering a rock concert for the Coyote Press, the newspaper for Community College of Southern Nevada.

The officers "wantonly, willfully and maliciously perpetrated a brutal, violent and vicious attack," on Jaramillo during the September 1999 Hootie and The Blowfish concert, the lawsuit alleges.

Jaramillo, who is represented by Las Vegas attorney Eric Dobberstein, is suing the state of Nevada, the police department, the University and Community College System and Officer T. Blundell on the basis of assault and battery, negligence, false imprisonment, false arrest and invasion of privacy.

Deleesa Carr, a Los Angeles resident claims in the second lawsuit that UNLV police officers yelled, taunted and "toyed" with her during the Soap Expo at Judy Bayley Theater in June 1998.

Carr, who is representing herself, said that although the officers did not arrest her, they handcuffed her and took her to the police department and refused to tell her why.

"With evil in his eyes, Officer Paul Harris pressed handcuffs down in my arms with a vengeance," the lawsuit says.

Carr also names actor Winsor Harmon of the soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful" and Officer Byndell in the suit.

Carr claims that Harmon and the producer of the Soap Expo lied to police when they told them that she had yelled and cursed at them.

According to CBS TV's website, Harmon plays a character named Thorne Forrester.

UNLV spokesman Tom Flagg could not be reached for comment today.