LAW ENFORCEMENT:

Coroner identifies man shot by Metro officer

Monday, July 6, 2009 | 11:46 a.m.

Shooting in Northwest Valley

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Officer-involved shooting

A man shot and killed last week by Metro Police officers in the northwest Las Vegas Valley has been identified, the Clark County Coroner's Office said today.

John Paul Hambleton, 32, of Las Vegas, died Wednesday from a perforating gunshot wound to the chest, a coroner's spokeswoman said.

He was shot after getting into an altercation with a police officer when two detectives tried to question him in a sexual assault and domestic violence case they were working, authorities said.

The death has been ruled a homicide, the coroner's spokeswoman said.

The detectives, in plain clothes, were questioning Hambleton near the El Jen Convalescent Center, 5538 Duncan Drive, which is near Alexander Drive, Helen Street and Rancho Drive, police said. The case in question involved domestic violence battery and sexual assault with a child under the age of 14, authorities said.

After questioning the man, the detectives went to place him under arrest but the man ran away and a foot chase ensued, police said.

Shots from a Taser failed to stop the man, police said. After one of the detectives caught up with Hambleton, the confrontation became physical. During the altercation, Hambleton began to fight and the detective fired his handgun twice, fatally wounding the man, police said.

Discussion: 15 comments so far…

By KillerB

7/6/09 at 2:16 p.m.

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"The death has been ruled a homicide..."

Will Metro now take Detective Hendricks into custody?
By OG

7/6/09 at 2:25 p.m.

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Given the fact pattern (esp. the physical struggle), the shooting seems completely justified.

Only the weirdo anti-government types could conclude otherwise.

Congrats to Metro for doing their jobs like professionals and removing a sex predator from the streets.
By LVBear

7/6/09 at 3:16 p.m.

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Two police officers, presumably in good physical condition, couldn't subdue ONE bad guy without having to kill him? Pathetic. Of course, it'll be ruled 'justifiable' homicide, as it always is, and Metro will continue its out of control, routine killing operations.

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By Voice_of_Reason

7/6/09 at 3:57 p.m.

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KillerB - find the death certificate of every person killed in an officer involved shooting and you will find they were also ruled a homicide. Homicide is the killing of one human by another. Murder is the unlawful killing of a human. Consequently, Detective Hendricks probably won't be taken into custody, much to your dismay.

LVBear - either attend or watch the inquest (if it's televised) and see what the evidence shows. It is quite possible that not every detail of this incident has been released. Perhaps there will be some light shed on why Detective Hendricks resorted to deadly force.
By skemp311

7/6/09 at 5:22 p.m.

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As the father of two young daughters, I am more than pleased that Metro has taken another sexual predator off the streets.

KillerB and LVBear are simply bloviating. They know nothing of the legal system (i.e. homocide vs. murder).
By LVBear

7/6/09 at 8:59 p.m.

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"KillerB and LVBear are simply bloviating. They know nothing of the legal system (i.e. homicide vs. murder)."

I know well the difference between homicide and murder. I worked in the legal system for over twenty years. I also know well the stench of government corruption. Metro, along with much of the government in our state (Nevada Gaming Control Board is the second worst), has the stench of a dozen dumpsters full of rotting animal carcasses in the heat of the desert. This has been shown too many times to list here.

Metro is a scary agency of thugs of which our community should be deeply ashamed. It is frightening how apathetic (or afraid to speak out?) the public is towards these thugs with their tin badges.

Las Vegas Law Enforcement:

http://www.thebeargrowls.com/?cat=21
By KillerB

7/6/09 at 9:22 p.m.

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skemp -- apparently due process isn't part of your legal knowledge. Good thing it's your right whether you know it or not. John Paul Hambleton was entitled to at least that, and his killer had sworn an oath to give him at least that.

So I'll continue "bloviating" while you continue showing your ignorance. Can you at least say "Fourteen"?
By LV4LIFE

7/7/09 at 7:47 a.m.

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Running from the cops in this town is grounds for immidiate execution. No exceptions, period! To be carried out by poorly educated, poorly trained individuals.
By Unk

7/7/09 at 12:19 p.m.

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The guy was blown away by a shotgun blast, to the back, at 8 paces.

Eyewitnesses yet again have refuted the official Metro story of what happened.

and there are people OK with all this? scared little Bo-peeps comes to mind.
By Voice_of_Reason

7/7/09 at 2:58 p.m.

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Unk - you don't have a clue what you're talking about.

The facts will show you lied when you said a shotgun was used.

The facts will show the "eyewitness" didn't see the entire event, consequently not everything she said is truthful.
By Unk

7/7/09 at 4:23 p.m.

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News 3 KVBC just confirmed the shotgun and in the back. According to Metro the reason for the confusion was a "clerical error".
By Wolfdog

7/8/09 at 7:22 a.m.

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Next is kangaroo court for the officer, where he will get off.
By LV4LIFE

7/8/09 at 10:42 a.m.

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If you run from the cops in this town, it gives them automatically the power to become judge, jury and executioner.
By dirytcops

7/8/09 at 1:34 p.m.

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MURDERD. Stay out of las vegas and henderson, full of dirty cops. He was accused of a domestic and molestation? Maybe it was a spouse or girlfriend who set him up. They new where he worked and lived. Why shoot him? They could have got him later. All these las vegas police think they are a munch of cowboys and can get away with anything. They will probably clear the police in August. More police getting away with murder. The policer cheif was recently arresterd for domestic battery, guess what? The 911 tape and all records came up missing. Everyone was told to shut there mouths. Dirty cops!
By reason

8/10/09 at 10:08 a.m.

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Voice of Reason, it is you that needs to get your facts straight. I have a close friend who actually works at El Jen and personally knew John Paul Hambleton. She said she talked to him an hour before it happened and he was acting normal and in no way would have had a gun on him. I also know her co workers and those who saw it go down stated he struggled, started running, and was shot in the back. End of story. A dirty cop taking a life of an individual. Dude was a worker there, which is a bunch of RN's and CNA's, so you know he would not have been carrying a gun. He's carrying old people all day, and wearing loose scrubs would be impossible to conceal a weapon. He was not wearing holsters. It's impossible. You know the rules about Cops firing guns at people. Here is a guy who was unarmed and running away. Yeah, he was charged with sex with a 13 year old, which is pretty gross. But that does not mean it gives anybody a right to kill that person. Last time I checked, taking a life aways is supposed to be the worst crime. Guess when a cop feels like it, it is not.