News briefs for Jan. 27, 2003

Monday, Jan. 27, 2003 | 9:41 a.m.

Police shooting called justified

A coroner's inquest jury decided Friday that Metro Police Officer William Marks was justified in fatally shooting 44-year-old Gary Orozco on Dec. 26 when the suspect drove his car into the officer's cruiser, backed up and allegedly tried to run Marks over near Owens Avenue and Lamb Boulevard.

Orozco had cocaine, amphetamine and Valium in his system when the incident occurred, authorities said.

Man dies at loading dock

A 39-year-old Virginia man died Friday morning after an accident on a Las Vegas business loading dock. Metro Police have not filed charges.

Gregory Lovell of Galax, Va., died at University Medical Center shortly after the 10:50 a.m. accident near Las Vegas Boulevard and Sunset Road.

Metro Traffic Detective Doug Nutton said Lovell was directing a tractor-trailer as it backed up into a loading dock. A delivery truck was backing into the next space and knocked Lovell down and ran over him, Nutton said.

Driver Leon Vigil, 32, of Las Vegas was not injured and told police he did not see Lovell.

Supect arrested in mutilation death

Metro Police have captured a man wanted on a Colorado warrant alleging he shot his girlfriend, mutilated her body and then set the body on railroad tracks where it was run over by a train.

Darrell Len Spriggs, 43, was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Friday pending an extradition hearing. A warrant for homicide had been issued by El Paso (Colo.) County.

Spriggs was working in Las Vegas as a Yellow Cab Co. maintenance man.

Nevadans get more heating aid

Nevada will receive $263,000 from an additional $200 million in low-income home energy assistance emergency funds released to the states last week by President Bush.

The program helps eligible families pay the costs of heating and insulating homes in winter and keeping them cool in summer. About 4.6 million low-income households receive assistance each year.

When Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson releases the funds to the states, the monies will account for two-thirds of the available contingency funds from prior years.

The remaining funds will be reserved for future energy emergencies, such as unusually severe weather or high home energy prices.