Coroner’s jury rules officers justified in fatal courthouse shooting

By Cara McCoy

Published Friday, Feb. 19, 2010 | 6:29 a.m.

Updated Friday, Feb. 19, 2010 | 3:36 p.m.

A coroner's jury ruled today that officers were justified in shooting a shotgun-wielding assailant who opened fire last month at the federal courthouse in downtown Las Vegas.

Jurors saw vivid surveillance video and photos of the shooting of Johnny Lee Wicks, who fatally shot court security officer Stanley Cooper, 72, and injured Deputy U.S. Marshal Richard J. Gardner, 48, at the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse at about 8 a.m. on Jan 4.

Jurors ruled today that security officers and deputy U.S. marshals were justified in using lethal force against Wicks.

Metro Police detective Dean Raetz walked jurors through crime scene photographs and surveillance video this morning that captured Wicks’ path into the courthouse and across the street to an area in front of the restored historic Fifth Street School, where Wicks died.

Cameras mounted inside and outside the courthouse and across the street at the Foley Federal Building captured different angles of the morning’s events.

In the black-and-white footage, Wicks, wearing a dark trench coat, is seen pulling a long-barrel gun from under the coat and firing three times. Cooper is seen attempting to take a step away from his post at the X-ray machines and then falling to the ground. Wicks retreats to an area just outside the building and another court security officer takes aim.

Wicks, outside but with his gun trained around a corner pointing into the courthouse lobby, is visible through a pane of glass. The officer, William Sherman, fires through the glass.

“All of a sudden, there was a deafening explosion,” Sherman testified, recounting what happened after Wicks entered the building. “I could see the muzzle blast.”

He said Wicks was “very methodical, very mechanical.”

In all, Wicks fired five rounds, testimony indicated. Officers fired more than 80 rounds.

Court security officer Arthur Vincent Gennaro Jr., who was stationed alongside Cooper and Sherman, said Wicks remained silent as the blasts discharged.

“Did he say anything that you can recall?” Chief Deputy District Attorney Christopher Laurent asked Gennaro.

“Not a word, sir,” Gennaro responded.

Raetz also showed jurors the Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun Wicks used in the shootings.

Police and the FBI have said Wicks, 66, acted alone and was angry about losing a government lawsuit challenging a cut in his monthly Social Security benefits.

Authorities say Wicks fired five times and security guards and marshals fired 81 shots.

Dr. Alane Olson, who performed Wicks’ autopsy, testified Wicks had no prescription drugs, street drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of his death. She said he died of multiple gunshot wounds and that his death had been ruled a homicide.

Fourteen bullets struck Wicks' body, she said, with two of the strikes being grazes from bullets and the other 12 either passing through or remaining lodged in his body.

No one from Wicks’ family attended the inquest.

A coroner’s inquest is a process used to determine facts surrounding deaths involving law enforcement officers. Jurors could have ruled the death justifiable, excusable or criminal.