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twitterD.A. drops charges in fatal police collision
Investigation exonerates driver involved in crash that killed Officer James Manor
Published Friday, June 5, 2009 | 1:37 p.m.
Updated Friday, June 5, 2009 | 4:10 p.m.
Calvin Darling
Sun archives
- Police release 911 calls that preceded officer’s fatal crash (5-22-2009)
- Police: Officer killed in crash drove 109 mph with no lights, sirens (5-20-2009)
- Financial help coming for officer’s daughter (5-18-2009)
- Community mourns police officer killed in crash (5-15-2009)
- Traffic delays likely for Metro officer’s funeral (5-15-2009)
- Funeral services planned for officer killed in crash (5-11-2009)
- Accused driver’s attorney in fatal police crash speaks out (5-11-2009)
- Driver in fatal crash with officer wasn’t drunk, to be released (5-8-09)
Metro Police investigators have recommended to District Attorney David Roger that all charges filed against Calvin Darling, whose vehicle collided with a speeding police cruiser last month, be dropped.
Roger agreed with the conclusion of the police investigation and has dropped and will not file future charges against Darling.
"This case was a tragedy all around," Roger said.
Metro's Fatal Accident Investigation Detail completed its investigation into the crash that took the life of 28-year-old Officer James Manor, a police statement said today.
Darling collided with a Metro Police cruiser responding to a 911 call about 12:49 a.m. May 7. Darling grabbed a fire extinguisher and tried to douse flames coming from the police car as the officer remained trapped.
Darling's red 1999 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck was making a left turn off Flamingo Road onto Ravenwood Drive as Manor's 2005 Ford Crown Victoria cruiser was speeding.
"As in every case we investigate, Metro's goal was to conduct an investigation which was efficient, accurate and thorough," Sheriff Doug Gillespie said in a statement. "That has occurred."
Investigators said they considered several factors during the investigation. They included physical evidence at the collision site, witness statements and statements made by Darling, information from "black boxes" contained in both the police cruiser and the pickup truck, the weather, road and lighting conditions and evidence gathered from both the police car and the pickup.
The ultimate conclusion of the investigation was that Manor's speed at 109 mph was both unsafe and unreasonable and was the primary cause of the collision. Although Manor braked and swerved to the right, he was still going 90 mph at the point of impact, Gillespie said.
The investigators also concluded that any reasonable person would have been unable to determine the police cruiser was traveling at more than 100 mph as it approached the intersection going east on Flamingo in response to a domestic violence call. That person would have felt he had sufficient time to make the left turn before the officer's car, without flashing lights and sirens, had reached him, the report said.
Darling had initially been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and interfering with an officer, but he was released from the Clark County Detention Center the day after the crash when two blood-alcohol tests showed he was below the legal limit for a DUI charge.
Sean P. Sullivan, Darling's attorney, said police investigators cooperated throughout the investigation. The investigation took a long time because witnesses were interviewed, Sullivan said.
"Their investigation has been transparent, nothing was held back," Sullivan said.
Metro investigators have also examined the actions of a 14-year-old girl who placed the initial 911 call that Manor was responding to. That investigation concluded that the girl did not commit any criminal action and will not be charged in the incident, police said.
Metro's driving policies are under department review to assure they are balanced, safe and effective, Gillespie said.
The sheriff formed an executive committee after the collision to review how officers respond to calls. Since then, there have been three more officer-involved traffic collisions.
Darling's attorney, Sean Sullivan, said statements made by police at the time of the crash came from an "emotionally charged" atmosphere. Sullivan launched an independent investigation of the crash and hired Steve Winnie, a former Metro Police officer, and Dennis Reefer, a private investigator, to help him.
"I felt that the initial action was an emotionally charged event," Sullivan said, especially with police saying that Manor had his emergency lights and siren on.
Metro invited Sullivan and his investigators to see the opening of the cruiser's and pickup truck's computers, also known as "black boxes."
"His investigation was transparent," Sullivan said of police investigators.
Sullivan and his team also brought forward eyewitnesses to the collision.
"No, I'm not happy Calvin was prosecuted in the press, but I am pleased that Calvin has been cleared of all charges," Sullivan said.
Discussion: 35 comments so far…
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Now go buy him a new truck and give him a fat settlement for the sheriff going on TV and lying his ass off about the guy. Then have the sheriff quit because he jumped to conclusions and slandered this guy so bad he lost his job. The sheriff owes this citizen a lot and he needs to settle up.
"Their investigation has been transparent, nothing was held back," Sullivan said.
Does that include the investigation into the arrest report which lied about the lights and sirens being on? Any word on why trailing officer Stuart Bowman sat around for days and did not tell the truth about the lights and sirens while Gillespie let Darling twist in the wind?
You mean that lying sack of crap crybaby Stuart Bowman is still with the force? That's outrageous.
Good news
.. now when does Gillespie resign and we take down all the brass nameplates he has had affixed to every Metro Station in CC?
All readers now should review this entire case and the reporting of it. This very newspaper which prides itself on professionalism showed a complete lack thereof with this story. In a nutshell they simply parroted back the Metro story from day one. They closed a public forum attached to the original story to quell discussion and strenghten the official line.
One should use this information and question anything reported here. There is massive SPIN going on here, beware readers.
The Sheriff should have let this come out AFTER he resigned. A man with NO shame, a man with no sense of responsibility. Every officer involved in the cover up that night and the arrest of this innocent victim should have been fired already.
i cannot find anywhere that states he lost his job. anyone got any sources?
I hope he sues the pants off Metro's colluding lying band of monkey's. This may be the first time justice has actually been served in a case involving Metro...and probably the last
Apparently Metro is doing the right thing and being open about the investigation. The original facts were based on what they knew at the time. I think all of you should run for office or become officers. Its graet that so many upsatnding people leave comments on the board. Like I always have said your either part of the problem or solution. I don't think finger pointing solves the probolem. Bash all you want, what have you done lately to better the city that live in? It amazes me how people are so quick to judge,your all most likely the same people that call to comnplain on why it is taking so long for police to respond to your burlarlized motor homes!
cambride: Learn to spell and type correctly before you start bashing us.
The Sheriff called a press conference to throw Mr. Darling under the bus all he had to do was say "no comment" "We are still investigating" but he did not he flat out lied and we all know the truth now.
The second officer lied and made a false police report statement. This is all to hurt Mr. Darling a citizen that pays the wages of those very people who tried to frame him.
Darling deserves an award, Manor (Metro) the criminal charges.
Darling the hero, Manor (Metro) the zero.
When's the parade?
my spelling errors are two fold, one i didnt think my time was worth double checking, 2nd i figured that your spelling and gramtical eye would not be able to recognize them!
Anyway why should darling get a medal for drinking and driving and being above the leag limit, yep he is a hero, lol. There is no perfect world or media outlet in the world. Do you really think metro is really out there trying to undermind the city, lie, cheat all the rest of the comments, lol it sounds like a comic book. To bad the city does not elect the sherrif...oh wait they do, lol. As far as the public paying salaries its called taxes, that same term 9taxes) that everyone complains about and does not want raised, maybe u get what you pay for!
Once again what have you done for your community lately, yes i spent time helping others today rather then myself like so many do.
Have any of you looked into what metro is doing and saying to officers about driving and the situation? I have and they are taking action.
All of you can keep bashing them and ignore the other 100+ accidents everyday, yes everyday that the fine drivers of the city create. Oh sorry i better not say that they are tax payers.... oh wait arent the cops tax payers also? Im so confused.
Jeeze, im not even a cop and am shocked at the logic of people. No wonder we have the issues that we have in the world.
When Im done with my masters at ur fine school of UNLV I will look forward to you all looking for help and handouts bashing others why your life stinks!
he should get a medal for drinking and driving and being below the legal limit! lol yes thats what i meant. It would be a shame if your family was killed by a person with maybe a .05, but i guess that would be fine.
No one is bashing all of Metro just the lying Sheriff and lying officer that made the false report.
If they bring down Metros image that is not the fault of taxpaying citizens its the fault of the lying Sheriff and lying officer that tried to frame a guy who was almost killed by another officer breaking the law.
Who was at fault for the last accident with Metro? The car they totaled at the ramp? I think two ladies were hurt in that one. Haven't seen a follow up if there was one?
Red lights and sirens allow them to proceed through stop signs and red lights "when safe to proceed", it is not a license to blow through without concern. Whenever an emergency vehicle goes through a light and gets hit, it wasn't safe to proceed and is the fault of the emergency vehicle driver.
Well, the headline is a bit off target. Instead of reading, "DA drops charges..." it should read, "DA charges Metro officers for falsifying investigation".
As usual the "authorities" tried to frame a private citizen but I guess the Sheriff got cold feet on this one after Sullivan did his own investigation.
We will see the quality of our Sheriff when we see if he fires any of his lying officers.
Imagine that....they finally stopped making this guy's life hell on earth. Now it's his turn, time for a huge law suit for the actions forced on this guy. I don't mean a little bit of money, make it one that goes down in the history books. The actions of law enforcement has been totally unexceptible, let them remember it for years to come!!!!!
getting sick of these police sirens tho
Charges should have been dropped as soon as they confirmed A - he wasn't drunk and B - the cop was doing 109 mph.
Gillespie and Rogers should both be out of job for this fiasco
too much $$$ to remove his name on all area commands...stated previously
I hope this guy did not lose his job. If so, TWO lawsuits; employer and Metro. He won't have to work again, they'll settle out of court. He deserves the "sky" for the hell he went through.
Metro and the DA was quick to try to destroy this guy's life and many of the cops of Metro were right there with them, right here on this website. Brainless sheep following the crowd leads to lynchings and mob mentality, which is alive and well here in Vegas.
I hope Darling makes a million dollars off this abuse of power. Where will it end, Las Vegas?
Who at Metro told Shilespee that the lights and siren were on? They should be charged for lying to a police officer or filing a false report. Also Sheriff should realize he made the witnesses look like liars, he owes them an apology.
If you want to go to a Swedish system, where any drinking is considered drunk driving and the first offence is two weeks in a work camp and permanent suspension of driving priviledges, that's fine with me, but you better get ready for a complete collapse of the bar, gaming and restaurant industry.
Finally the local hate-talk radio stations were particularly bias in their convicting Darling on the air. This is another reason why need the fairness doctrine.
The HORRIFYING torture Mr. Darling had to go through in the Las Vegas Jail, the lies and degrading his reputation to the entire world, his injuries that were denied treatment by REAL medical professionals instead of the sadistic Nurse Ratchet & Dr. Mengele types employed by the jail system.
Metro ought to revise their policies on police responding to calls. Officer Manor, as good as a policeman he may have been,, made a horrible judgement call by going that speed. HE SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN GOING THAT FAST IN THE FIRST PLACE!! It was a very excessive speed. Who teaches these cops to drive? Metro ought to look at their defensive driving training for all their officers. Just because a cop is in a squad car doesn't give him the right to endanger the very citizens he is sworn to protect. My Ex was a cop for 34 years and believe me, they were instructed to NEVER go those speeds; it is just way too dangerous.
(Sheriff Arpileo in Phx has the right idea.) Officers that have minor car wrecks etc. should be forced to wear pink uniforms, drive pink patrol cars and eat green donuts.
I agree with the earlier statement that the Sun did a very poor job reporting the story. They spit out the company line as released by Metro.
Where was the investigative reporting?
Darling is the "common man", he could have been any one of us or to put it another way, we could have been him.
Nobody is safe with Metro's pursuit policy.
Get off of Darling's .05 alcohol reading. That is no where near as dangerous as driving a 100 mph with no lights or sirens.
I agree that Darling got the shaft and I think the Las Vegas Sun was a large part of the victimization.
The system has worked,but to what extent? We shall see if the false reports filed by any officer go s by the way side? If it turns out that they get nothing more than a slap on the wrist,then it will turn out as nothing short of a white wash! What a lesson to be learned by any cadet.
And your police dpt was going to file charges against the 14 year old kid who called it in??!!
Huh?!
(The people who posted "out of control" comments on the other stories may have been on to something.)
And does my pickup have a Black Box flight recorder too?
Huh?!
Comment removed by staff.
You're driving home after work...abiding the laws...being responsible...only had 2 beers in the appropriate amount of time. Alert...focused ...thinking about tomorrow's work day and then >>>>>>SLAMMMM! You get T-Boned at 109 MPH by a 2300 lb missle.
The trauma of the impact...
car violently spinning...ears ringing...glass...blood...confusion...you're stunned...
Walk a straight line"follow the tip of my pen"count from 99 backwards"
Then you get arrested and smeared by the Sherriff.
If I were Mr. Darling, I would not only seek some damages from Metro, but I would then go after the Sun who to this day continues to post Mr. Darling's mugshot every chance they get. They should have ceased to use this photo immediately upon learning the BAC levels. The only reason I read the Sun is because I feel it's important to know what is being printed locally, however I hate this paper. I think it is the poorest excuse for news on the planet. I honestly can't believe this paper wins awards for journalism. If not for the Review Journal the Sun would be obsolete by now instead of reduced to the 5-8 pages it currently occupies in the RJ.
If Metro gets sued your taxes pay the bill. The man deserves compensation, but don't you understand that we all get to pay for it. It won't becoming from the men who lied or the officer that died.
Metro better make things right for Mr. Darling.
And, the liars should be punnished.
I do realize that any suit against Metro will be paid with tax dollars, however Mr. Darling deserves compensation for everything he has been subjected to. Just because tax dollars will be used doesn't mean he's any less entitled to compensation. Also, as far as I know, nobody has even issued an apology to Mr. Darling.
the arrogant police department should buy this guy a new truck.
Regardless of the officer speed, the left turn driver is still at fault .Because he failed to yeild to the right of way.
Its almost as if Darlings was trying to commit suicide as well as murder .
ask yourself, if you were making a left turn and you saw some one driving erratically, would you take a chance and pull out in front of that moving vehicle." Me" Hell know, I would make sure I would be cautious as possible . Had he not made a left turn, there wouldn't have been a crash . i see more people that's being unattentive cause more accident then speeder's.
People need to wake up and learn to be patient while driving.
stop thinking you can beet the other driver coming at you.