Man who crashed into police cruiser has long record

Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 | 2:33 p.m.

John Meek

The man who Metro Police took into custody Wednesday after they say he committed a robbery, stole two vehicles and rammed a police cruiser has a long arrest record in Las Vegas.

After a robbery occurred about 2 p.m. Wednesday in the 3900 block of Royal Viking Way in the eastern Las Vegas Valley, officers began looking for the man after a resident confronted him, police said. The man fled in a silver van with personal property from the home, police said.

The man then went to a residence in the 3200 block of Desert Inn, where Metro Police officers watched him. The man forced his way into an unoccupied residence and stole a vehicle, police said.

As police responded, the man rammed into officers in marked patrol cars in his attempt to flee, then crashed the second vehicle, making it inoperable, police said. He escaped on foot and again forced his way into an unoccupied apartment at the Wheatherstone apartment complex on the east side of Mojave Road, police said.

He barricaded himself at first, then tried to leave the apartment, making his way to the roof, where he was later taken into custody by SWAT and police negotiators without further struggle, police said.

Police identified the man as 45-year-old John Nathan Meek of Las Vegas. He has been charged with robbery and burglary, Officer Bill Cassell said.

Meek has had run-ins with Metro Police since 1984, Cassell said. Previous arrests and charges include those for battery, resisting arrest, two batteries with a deadly weapon, parole violation for burglary, possession of burglary tools, grand larceny, two counts of auto burglary, possession of narcotics paraphernalia, carrying a concealed weapon, two counts of an ex-felon failing to notify a change of address, nine counts of sexual assault, sexual assault with battery, sexual assault with a weapon, two counts of a sex offender failing to notify change of address, kidnapping, possession of a controlled substance and parole violation of a sex offender. There are also numerous traffic violations.

All of the above charges are within Metro Police jurisdiction, Cassell said.

Meek was also arrested in May 1990 after a standoff with police at the Desert Sands RV Park, 1940 N. Boulder Highway. He was listed as a Henderson resident in that case and was charged with sexually assaulting a woman.

Discussion: 3 comments so far…

By vc

10/29/09 at 3:07 p.m.

Suggest removal

Ok, with a rap sheet like that why on earth is this guy a free man?
By voodoonova

10/29/09 at 3:21 p.m.

Suggest removal

WOW! the rap sheet was 1/3 of the whole story! What hasn't he done? Oh they'll let 'im go again so he can maybe commit a fresh crime to add to that pile...
By gothicgrimoire

10/29/09 at 5:51 p.m.

Suggest removal

This pos has gotten away with brutal violent crimes his entire adult life. He eased out of prison after life sentences, after 2 kidnappings and brutal assaults of two young teens and a heinous rape. This is aside of his assaults on police officers while trying to grab their weapons. The list goes on and on. Apparently his ***** position for the city of Henderson has worked for him again. Check how lightly they have labeled his offense in the sex offender registery, after being found guilty of all charges and sentenced to two life terms. I expect he will slide on this one too and expect his next offense to be murder, rather than attempted. He is known to threaten victims right to the judge during his trials with no remorse as victims are forced to relive their nightmares while seeking justice, only for him to be let out again and again. Maybe its time to keep him in prison where HE can be brutally assaulted over and over. Fry his ass, he isnt worthy of life, total waste of human flesh....How many more times will it take? Yet another innocent victim? Had the others not lucked out and escaped would he then be punished? He is below pond scum and deserves to rot in hell. His victims never had a second chance, how dare the system favor the freedom of this maggot over that of innocent victims whose worlds he destroyed......