Officer involved in shooting resigns

Jen Lawson

Thursday, May 27, 2004 | 9:41 a.m.

A Metro Police officer at the center of federal and departmental investigations into the fatal shooting of an unarmed man last year has resigned from the force, Metro officials said.

Brian Hartman -- who was on paid leave along with several other officers while Metro's Internal Affairs Bureau and the FBI conducted separate inquiries into the February 2003 shooting -- quit on May 18.

"He has resigned but we can't comment until the investigation is complete," said Deputy Chief Mike Ault, head of internal affairs.

Special Agent Todd Palmer, spokesman for the FBI's Las Vegas field office, declined to comment. Last month, an FBI representative said the bureau was conducting a civil rights investigation into Hartman's shooting of Orlando Barlow.

Hartman testified at a coroner's inquest that he shot and killed Barlow, 28, because he appeared to be reaching for something in his waistband.

Hartman and other graveyard shift officers had responded to a domestic violence call at a home at 7092 Rustling Winds Ave. near Rainbow Boulevard and Russell Road.

Katrina Graves told a 911 call-taker that a man with a sawed-off shotgun was in her home with her seven children. She had met Barlow a week earlier and asked to him babysit, police said.

Graves got into an argument with Barlow and called police from a nearby convenience store.

Barlow came out of the house and appeared to be surrendering, but Hartman testified at the inquest that Barlow put his hand in his waistband while kneeling on the ground. Hartman fired an assault rifle at Barlow, killing him, because he said he feared his fellow officers' lives were in danger. No weapon was found on Barlow.

The inquest jury ruled that the shooting was excusable, meaning it may not have been entirely acceptable, but it was also not considered criminal.

On Monday, Metro's financial oversight committee voted to settle a $400,000 federal lawsuit filed by Barlow's mother, Shiela Barlow. The suit alleged civil rights violations and wrongful death.