Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Citizen panel alleges police wrongs

A panel of the Citizen Review Board, which fields complaints about Metro Police, is asking why seemingly obvious violations of Metro Police policies and procedures appear to have been ignored by the department's Internal Affairs division.

At issue is a complaint about the conduct of Metro Sgt. William Wilson. The Citizen Review Board panel found that Wilson had failed to follow department policy when he searched a vehicle and then left it unlocked.

"It was clear" that Wilson did not follow Metro policy in this case, said Andrea Beckman, executive director of the review board.

The board met on Wednesday to discuss the accusations against Wilson brought by Eric Douglas, 38. It released its findings on Monday.

Douglas, who is black, accused Wilson, who is white, of harassment, discrimination and illegal search and seizure stemming from a Jan. 20 suspected trespassing incident, according to the review board's report and Beckman.

The Citizen Review Board panel did not find sufficient evidence to support Douglas' allegation of racial profiling.

Metro's Internal Affairs had previously ruled that allegation out as well and had cleared the case without finding Wilson at fault for anything.

That troubled the Citizen Review Board panel.

"The panel is concerned that what appeared to be obvious violations of Metro's policies and procedures was never identified by Internal Affairs in their investigation or conclusion," the panel's report noted.

Gary Peck, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada,said the details of the board's report were worrying, especially in the overly aggressive nature of Wilson, but he said there are larger implications to the case.

"The way the case was mismanaged by (Internal Affairs) is troubling in its own right, but it is the larger issues highlighted by the case that are even more trouble," he said.

He said that the very genesis of the case -- arresting Douglas for the petty trespassing case -- points to a root of a court and jail system clogged with people arrested for relatively minor offenses.

Metro Deputy Chief Mike Ault of the Internal Affairs division said that Citizen Review Board and Metro came to different conclusions of the events and the board's concerns that Metro didn't identify problems may not be correct.

"Just because the Citizens Review Board says something does not mean it's true," he said.

The Internal Affairs detail will meet, however, to review the case, he said.

"We will review the claim to determine if it is true," Ault said.

The board requested a full investigation into the incident on April 28 and the investigation was concluded on June 27, Ault said. The Metro investigators did not find that Wilson violated policies, Ault said.

Douglas was stopped by Metro on Jan. 20 about 9 p.m. at 1401 E. Fremont St., because he was suspected of trespassing, according to the report.

According to the report, Wilson "exercised inappropriate discretion," when he arrested Douglas because he allegedly told Douglas that he "doesn't issue citations" and instead took him into custody, the report stated.

Under Metro policy, an arresting officer has the discretion whether or not to arrest a suspect in such an incident, Ault said.

Wilson also "never advised Douglas as to the object of his search, i.e. what he was looking for" when he searched through the suspect's vehicle, the Citizen Review Board report stated, which is a violation of Metro's policies.

Beckman said Wilson did not lock the vehicle when they arrested Douglas. Someone broke into the vehicle and stole personal items.

Ault said Internal Affairs found no evidence that Wilson violated Metro's search policy and Wilson didn't break the "securing" procedure because Douglas didn't ask him to secure the vehicle, he said.

But according to the Citizen Review Board, it doesn't matter whether Douglas asked him to lock the car (which Douglas said he did,) because department policy requires officers to "protect and safeguard the arrestee and personal property."

"Based upon department procedure the obligation was on Sgt. Wilson (to lock the vehicle), the officer is in control of the incident scene, and not on Douglas, the arrestee," the review board noted.

According to court records, Douglas pleaded guilty to one count of burglary in August in a separate incident and was sentenced to serve between 12 and 48 months. Douglas was previously released on probation for an attempted sexual assault and robbery conviction when he was arrested for the burglary charge, prison records and his attorney said.

Kevin Williams, a Clark County public defender who served as Douglas' attorney on the recent burglary charge, said he had no information on Douglas' accusations against the police.

Williams confirmed that Douglas had been released on parole for the sexual assault when he was arrested on the burglary charge.

He said Douglas had a drug problem and was attempting to get help for it when the police picked him up on the burglary charge.

"He really, really wanted to get into a drug program," Williams said.

A Metro arrest report stated that Douglas was arrested on Feb. 13, charged with burglary, four counts of conspiracy to commit burglary, possession of a controlled substance and narcotic paraphernalia.

Wilson could not be reached for comment Monday.

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