NLV officer faces inquest

Friday, Nov. 19, 2004 | 9:45 a.m.

A Clark County coroner's inquest jury today was to determine whether a North Las Vegas Police officer's actions were justifiable, excusable or criminal in connection with the fatal shooting of a 28-year-old man last month.

Antonio Corona-Mendoza's wife called police the night of Oct. 12 and said he was shooting a gun inside the house and wouldn't stop, police said.

When officers arrived at the house, in the 1800 block of Harvard Street near East Lake Mead Boulevard, they reported finding Corona-Mendoza standing in his front lawn firing a revolver into the neighborhood.

Police said Corona-Mendoza fired several shots toward the officers and Officer Mike Carmody returned fire, hitting him. Corona-Mendoza was taken to University Medical Center and was pronounced dead.

Carmody, a 12-year veteran of the police department, was been placed on routine administrative leave pending the outcome of the inquest.

Carmody has been involved in prior shootings, all of which were determined justified.

In July 1998, Carmody shot and killed a man who pointed a semi-automatic handgun at him, police said.

Carmody was also involved with other officers in the shooting of armed suspects in 1995 and 1997 in which the suspects survived their injuries, police said