6 indicted in death of Metro Police officer

By Cara McCoy

Published Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009 | 5:48 p.m.

Updated Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009 | 8:32 p.m.

The case of slain Metro Police officer Trevor Nettleton has moved to District Court after an indictment of six alleged gang members charged in his death was handed down by a Clark County grand jury.

That indictment, made public Wednesday, lists a variety of gang-enhanced charges against Prentice Marshall, 18, Saul Williams Jr., 20, Quadrae Scott, 18, and Adrian Pena, 17, including murder, and conspiracy charges against brothers Michael Ferguson, 25, and Emmitt Ferguson, 18.

Authorities allege the men are members of the Woods gang.

Marshall, Williams, Scott and Pena are charged with murder with a deadly weapon with a criminal gang enhancement in Nettleton’s death. Pena is charged as an adult in the case.

Three of the four also are charged in an alleged armed robbery that happened shortly before Nettleton’s slaying.

Marshall, Williams and Scott are charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery, both charges with deadly weapon and gang enhancements, in an incident during which a 19-year-old’s iPod and backpack were taken at gunpoint.

That incident happened in the same area of North Las Vegas where Nettleton — and the young men suspected in the crime — lived, police said.

As for what allegedly happened shortly after midnight Nov. 19 in the Nettletons’ garage in the 1100 block of Emerald Stone Avenue, near Lone Mountain Road and Donna Street, in addition to the murder charge, Marshall, Williams, Scott and Pena are facing one count each of conspiracy to commit robbery, burglary while in possession of a firearm and attempted robbery with a deadly weapon. Those charges all have criminal gang enhancements attached.

Nettleton, a three-year Metro Police veteran, had arrived home from work when he was confronted and shot in his garage.

Nettleton wasn’t in uniform when he was shot — first in the leg, followed by a fatal shot to the chest, authorities have said.

Police said Marshall, the alleged triggerman, was shot in the testicles during an exchange of gunfire with Nettleton. Marshall was arrested at University Medical Center shortly after Nettleton was shot.

Emmitt Ferguson and Michael Ferguson, Williams’ stepbrothers, are each facing two counts with gang enhancements, one of conspiracy to commit an act for the perversion or corruption of public justice or the due administration of law, and a second count of accessory to murder.

Police said Williams called both Michael and Emmitt Ferguson from the North Las Vegas jail and asked them to conceal a weapon allegedly used in the crime.

It’s up to prosecutors to decide if a case goes to a preliminary hearing or to a grand jury. Grand jury proceedings are secret.

A preliminary hearing was set for Thursday but because the case went to grand jury, that hearing is now vacated. Both processes are used to determine if enough evidence exists to bind the case over to District Court.

Arraignment in District Court is set for Dec. 23.