Racial profiling charged in corrections officer’s suit

Jace Radke

Friday, Oct. 25, 2002 | 9:42 a.m.

A Metro Police corrections officer is alleging that he was detained and handcuffed for more than an hour by North Las Vegas Police earlier this month as a result of racial profiling.

Danny Simpson has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of North Las Vegas and its police department claiming false arrest, battery and infliction of emotional distress.

The complaint seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from North Las Vegas. Also listed as defendants in the complaint are North Las Vegas Police Officers Jason Scarale and J. Hudson and Sgt. Joyce Welding.

According to the complaint, Simpson, who is black, was pulled over while driving his Chevrolet Camaro on Lake Mead Boulevard about 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 15.

"Based solely on plaintiff's African-American ethnicity, defendants Scarale and Hudson ordered plaintiff to exit the vehicle, slammed his body onto the trunk of the vehicle, handcuffed him tightly, and detained him for over an hour on the pretext plaintiff was speeding," the complaint states.

The complaint goes on to state that when Simpson told the officers that he was a sworn Metro officer, Scarale and Hudson "taunted plantiff, threatened to cause him to lose his career, and told him that he was under arrest for obstructing a police officer."

Welding arrived on the scene later and allegedly refused to remove the handcuffs, and called Simpson's supervisors at Metro to come get him, according to the complaint.

North Las Vegas spokeswoman Brenda Johnson said the city and police department had no comment on the suit, citing a city policy that requires employees not to comment on ongoing litigation.

Simpson was cited by the officers at the scene for driving 50 mph in a 35 mph zone.