Two cops cleared in shootings

Keith Paul

Friday, June 29, 2001 | 11:20 a.m.

Metro Police's use-of-force board ruled Thursday night a sergeant acted within department guidelines when she shot and wounded a man who had been swinging a baseball bat at people on the Strip and broke one of the sergeant's fingers.

The seven-member Metro use-of-force board Thursday night unanimously cleared Sgt. Martha Schofield of any wrongdoing when she fired one shot at 38-year-old Jose Manuel Sanchez, grazing him in the leg, Deputy Chief Ray Flynn said.

Schofield encountered Sanchez about 8 p.m. on April 27 in the 2300 block of Las Vegas Boulevard South. Officers were called to the area on the report of a man swinging a bat at people walking on the Strip.

Sanchez is accused of swinging the bat at Schofield, who partially blocked the bat, but received a fractured finger. Schofield fired one shot, which grazed Sanchez in the left thigh, police said.

Sanchez fled and was chased by other officers. During the pursuit, Sanchez stabbed himself several times with a folding knife he had. Officer Todd Phillips fired a shotgun loaded with beanbag rounds, knocking Sanchez to the ground, police said.

The board also ruled Phillips was within department policy. The board reviewed his actions because he was closer than 21 feet when he fired the beanbag shotgun, which is considered deadly force, Flynn said.