Inquest to determine if officer was justified in fatal shooting

Friday, July 23, 2004 | 9:44 a.m.

A Clark County coroner's inquest was meeting today to determine if an undercover North Las Vegas Police officer was justified in shooting a man in April while trying to serve a narcotics search warrant.

The case stems from Detective Clint Ryan shooting and killing Cipriano Lopez, 44, on April 27 after Lopez allegedly fired shots at officers as they served the warrant at the 500 block of North 15th Street near Bonanza Road and Maryland Parkway in Las Vegas.

Ryan fired back, and Lopez later died.

Police later found 100 grams of methamphetamine and 144 grams of marijuana in the apartment along with measuring scales and other paraphernalia.

North Las Vegas Police, who usually release the names of officers involved in shootings after 48 hours, withheld Ryan's name until early this month.

Officer Tim Bedwell, spokesman for the department, said in April that publicizing Ryan's identity would compromise his safety and criminal cases.

Ryan was involved in a six-month FBI-led investigation into a Las Vegas methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking ring that resulted in 19 arrests on July 1.

A six-year veteran of the department, Ryan had never previously fired his weapon in the line of duty, Bedwell said.