Coroner’s inquest finds police shooting justified

Monday, Sept. 9, 2002 | 9:22 a.m.

A Clark County coroner's inquest jury unanimously ruled Friday that a North Las Vegas Police sergeant was justified when he shot a man who was holding a knife to his girlfriend's throat last month.

Sgt. Tim Grady, 48, a 23-year veteran of the department, shot and killed 29-year-old Deon Johnson about 7:30 p.m. Aug. 4 in the 2200 block of Cambridge Elm Street near Lake Mead Boulevard.

Police were called to the location on a report that a man had taken his girlfriend hostage.

When officers arrived they found Johnson armed with a large butcher knife standing outside a car. A woman left the car, but Johnson grabbed her around the neck and held the knife near her face, police said.

As Johnson backed away from officers, he stabbed the air near the woman's neck with the knife. Officers, while moving toward the couple, ordered the man to release the woman and drop the knife, police said.

Johnson continued to threaten the woman. Grady fired a single shot. saying he feared for the woman's safety. The round hit Johnson in the head. The woman was taken to a local hospital for minor wounds and was treated and released.