FBI to probe BC police treatment of man, 73

Jeffrey Libby

Thursday, Aug. 22, 2002 | 11:20 a.m.

Boulder City Police Chief William Turk on Wednesday asked the FBI to investigate how an elderly Las Vegan sustained three broken ribs and other injuries during a felony traffic stop last week on one of the town's main thoroughfares.

The decision to turn over the investigation was driven by several factors, city officials said, including the fact that one of the arresting officers, Officer Joseph "Tony" Norte, was disciplined in July for his handling of an emergency situation involving an elderly woman.

Bob Parker, 73, the Las Vegan injured during the felony hit-and-run stop, also filed an excessive force complaint against the Boulder City Police Department. And residents have been the calling the mayor's office to express concern, officials said. It was the second incident sent to the FBI for investigation of an injury of an elderly man by police during a traffic stop. Henderson Police forwarded a similar case to the FBI last month after 84-year-old Charles Walker broke five ribs during a struggle with police.

On Friday the FBI forwarded the Henderson case without comment to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Las Vegas, which will forward it for review to the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, in Washington, FBI spokesman Daron Borst said.

In the Parker case the FBI will initiate a federal civil rights, color of law investigation, Special Agent in Charge Ellen B. Knowlton of the Las Vegas Division said.

Parker said that police used excessive force against him after pulling him over on Aug. 15. He was discharged from a Las Vegas rehabilitation center on Tuesday.

The FBI's results will be forwarded to the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division within 30 days, she said.

Boulder City Attorney Dave Olsen said Wednesday that Norte and Officer Daniel, whose first name was not given, acted appropriately when they stopped Parker's Chevrolet Suburban last Thursday, suspecting involvement in a hit-and-run accident reported by Metro Police on July 30.

"All the evidence at this point indicates that the force used to restrain Parker under the circumstances was reasonable and not excessive," said Olsen said in a statement.

There is no videotape of the arrest, however. Normally a camera automatically switches on when police officers activate their emergency lights. But Chief Turk on Monday said that the officer had switched off the camera accidentally.

Neither officer has been disciplined and both remain on duty.

Turk refused further comment today. "We're just going to let the FBI handle it," he said.

In July Norte was disciplined for the way he handled an incident at the July 4 Damboree Parade in Central Park.

Norte stopped Las Vegan Mike Steele as he drove against traffic on a street coned off for pedestrians in an effort to pick up his mother, Esther "Dee Dee" Steele, 79, and get her to the hospital. She had passed out while sitting with friends to wait for the parade to enter the park.

Steele, a 1964 graduate of Boulder City High School, said today that he pulled up next to the coned area and asked Norte for help.

Steele says that Norte responded, "I don't give a damn about your mother. Back up your car or you're going to jail in handcuffs."

His mother was hospitalized for four days for severe anemia.

Olsen said Norte offered to call paramedics and that Norte didn't use the word "damn." He also said Norte first took his mother home before taking her to the hospital.