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Metro Police Officer Thomas Mendiola testifies during a coroner’s inquest for Erik Scott at the Regional Justice Center on Sept. 28, 2010. Scott was shot and killed by Metro officers at the Summerlin Costco store July 10.
Published Monday, Jan. 31, 2011 | 4:42 p.m.
Updated Monday, Jan. 31, 2011 | 5:15 p.m.
Related Document (.pdf)
Sun Archives
- Erik Scott family drops Costco from federal lawsuit (1-20-11)
- Erik Scott family buys 4 billboard ads seeking Costco video (10-28-10)
- Police officers found justified in Erik Scott shooting; family plans lawsuit (9-28-10)
- Detective: Erik Scott had pain medicines from several doctors (9-27-10)
- Witnesses give conflicting accounts of Costco police shooting (9-25-10)
- Shoppers recount police shooting outside Costco (9-24-2010)
- Officer in Costco shooting says man raised gun, didn't know it was in holster (9-23-2010)
- Inquest testimony focuses on Erik Scott’s use of prescription drugs (9-22-10)
One of three officers who shot and killed Erik Scott outside the Summerlin Costco last summer has been relieved of duty without pay pending the outcome of a criminal complaint charging him with one felony count of furnishing a firearm to a prohibited person, police said.
After the criminal charges, Metro Police Officer Thomas Mendiola, 23, will face an internal police investigation.
Mendiola, William Mosher and Joshua Stark shot and killed Scott on July 10 outside Costco after authorities say Scott pointed a gun at an officer. A Clark County coroner’s inquest jury ruled in September after six days of testimony the three officers were justified in the shooting.
According to a criminal complaint released Monday, Mendiola gave a .22-caliber Sturm Ruger to Robert Justice, 45, as a gift for working on his car in August 2010. Justice has convictions for two felony offenses and is prohibited from possessing firearms, authorities said.
Mendiola had met Justice in July when Justice first worked on Mendiola’s car, the report said. Justice told police Mendiola gave him the gun, an extra magazine and a box of ammunition as a gift for working on the vehicle.
Justice later sold the gun and a .357-caliber handgun to an undercover detective, the complaint said.
When questioned, Mendiola admitted to giving Justice the gun and knowing he had been in prison. He told police the gun “wasn’t even working, it was just beat up,” the complaint said.
According to the complaint, in September 2010, Mendiola told police that Justice showed him a .357-caliber handgun and he allegedly told Justice, “Dude, you’re not supposed to have that, but you already know that.” Justice replied, “Yeah, no one will know.”
When asked if he knew what Justice was going to do with the guns, the report indicates Mendiola told police, “I don’t know. He said he was collecting ‘em. The Ruger wasn’t for (expletive), I mean, it was rusted, had no sights, it didn’t fire, course I never tried it.”
Mendiola has been with Metro since March 2009. He is assigned to Metro's Patrol Division, Convention Center Area Command.
Pendejo! Enjoy working at KFC the rest of your life with that Felony conviction...
Too bad for officer Mendiola the coroners inquest won't decide this one.
We need an outside agency to investigate Metro, Justice Department, FBI, U.N., etc. The only people that support them are a couple of corrupted local radio talk show ranters.
Waiting for more detail on this story.
What did he do? What did he give, to whom and why?
@ls1 haha isn't that the truth.
Apparently, he thought he could be above the law.
@Turrialba....Hey, it's obvious the "jocks" sure did a number on you in High School. Trust me, I know how bad they can be. Still, it is time to let it go. If you don't think this project makes fiscal sens, I can respect that. But to take every opportunity to call out for the elimination of the entire athletic department is just so sad. Especially when no matter obvious the academic, financial and social benefits this department has provided for decades you can't see past the painful memories of every swirly you endured.
Okay, that being said. You provided some pretty interesting numbers. I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and just accept you accounting. You've concluded that 50 million a year is the magic number. Wow, that seems daunting.
Including this one, there have been 40 posts on this so far. Sixteen are from you telling as all -- as many ways as you possible could -- that this project would need fifty million or so in revenue. You have said this 16 times.
That surely was some good news. You see, according to the OPE Equity in Athletics (a division of the US Department of Education) studies UNLV had decent revenues in 2009-2010 (once revenues earned from it's current facilities were factored in. According to the OPE (http://bit.ly/eFKjpd) UNLV's revenues were in excess on $61 Million. And that is with less seats an no hotel or dorm rent.
When will realize that a program that's has been credited with benefiting Southern Nevada economy in the upwards of a billion dollars, was able to accomplish that by being fiscally responsible?
And you should also keep on mind that the State of Nevada also makes money on every one of the tickets sold -- to the tune of 10% of their face value.
No surprise -
FACT:
There is no single group in the community which violates more laws, terrorizes, brutalizes and kills more citizens as a matter of routine than those employed by Metro.
Mendiola should have been tagged with a murder rap for his "four-in-the-back" of Erik Scott.
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And we, the people, re-elected Sheriff Doug thinking he will continue to improve Metro.
mred your comment makes no sense in this case. This officer was investigated and he is facing charges for what he did. What more would you like them to do?
If the gun wasn't working why did he give him a box of ammunition?
LVMPD will not change until the county eradicates the 'Sheriff' concept and replaces it with 'Police Chief', serving at the will of the city manager/commission.
Keep the Sheriff for DOC work, make the police an independent agency with the Chief of Police open to candidates across the country, appointed, and subject to termination by a vote of the commissioners or city manager.
WELL !!! Here we go again, Police Officers that are unscrupulous and no different from any other "THUG" except they have law enforcement authority to get away with murder. Once again we establish that Police Officers are liars, conspirators, law violators and a gang mentality while holding the "BADGE". WHERE IS THE SHERIFF ? How can the public be so STUPID to believe anything the Police Officers say. We need a system to challenge everything they do and how they do it.
If David Rogers really wanted to get involved, he should call on an F.B.I. Investigation of the entire Metro Police Department and some of the other law authorities.
This idiot is felony stupid....Way to throw away a good career...Your credibility just got flushed down the toilet.....
From everything I've read on the Scott case, Officer Stark was the only cop there (in my humble opinion) who is / was worthy of a badge. This chucklehead kid reacted to Mosher's fire and fired his weapon several times without stopping to re-assess the situation.
This latest act calls his judgement further into question. He's too young and dumb to be a cop apparently. As has been pointed out before, you have to be 25 to get a job driving a cab. This guy is only 23. Giving a gun to a felon? I don't think even Metro will tolerate that.
If he is found guilty, he should do a few years in prison with the type of folks he gave guns too.
"Mendiola should have been tagged with a murder rap for his "four-in-the-back" of Erik Scott."
So Harley, if a guy was pointing a gun at your wife/girlfriend/kid, would you wait until he turned around to shoot him?
What if he didn't turn, killed your family member and walked away, then would you be thinking that perhaps a couple of slugs in the back would have been called for?
He's just 23?
That explains no common sense, in this case.
Back to Burger King, dude.
Metro and their 22's
give them to ex felons,.... plant them in ambulances of costco shoppers... you never know when you are gonna need one
The officer knew that the guy couldn't possess a gun? That's all kinds of stupid.
I could understand a private sale, where you don't know -- and really don't have the means of finding out, short of processing the sale through a FFL holder.
But a cop -- who knew?! *sigh*
So much for the justification in paying exorbitant salaries to Metro cops because they are such brilliant, high quality people.
I never want to hear that bull again!
But I thought all illegal gun sales and transfers were by mean spirited right wing radicals trying to arm Mexican drug gangs?
Any competant and reasonable person who would sell/trade/give a handgun to someone else, especially someone that knows that the gun would have to be registered, would go to a police station with the person recieving the gun, and legally transfer it at the station.
That way he knows that the gun is going to a reputable person, and there would be a legal record of the transaction. The police run a records check on everyone who tries to register a gun. If he would have been half-smart, he would have done it this way, and been off the hook.
Its sad to see the same moronic and unintelligent responses that are posted on the Sun's forum. Lets face facts, the amount of officer involved shootings is ridiculous. Metro needs to have the Feds conduct a investigation into whats going on. These cops are cowboys, they go through training to learn deadly force, yet all we read about is another officer involved shooting. It seems like a weekly occurence, its gross. Think about this, this cop is 23!! He's only been able to drink legally for 2 years....give me a break... and we put a gun in his hand and a badge on his chest? LOLOLOL what a city!!! Sin City!!! This is why Nevada ranks near the bottom of every category...except cab drivers!! We won that!!
We all knew those cops were dirty, trigger happy, rogue and corrupt. They thought they were above the law...not anymore!
Karma!
Typical Metro punk straight out of high school.
I recall how these pages were teeming with the usual "Metro are heroes" drivel after the Erik Scott murder first occurred.
We were treated to just how unimpeachable every last member of the force was, and how we could never ascribe any ill-intent to any of their actions. They were cops, they could do no wrong.
What say the sheep now?
Any reasonable person is not shocked by this news.
Metro: To protect and serve...one another.
This is like putting the icing on the cake. Thi$ i$ going to co$t.
rogue cops shot at the Costco. now some substance comes out about these trigger happy folks who love their guns - even bad guns.
Another street punk made officer who thought he was above the law! So now, he's helping felons and he's a bad liar too! Don't these cops know that criminals can't wait to 'rat' them out for anything? I hope this young punk cop has learned something now that he's blown the best job he'll EVER have! Guess he'll be working for his buddy, Justice, changing oil on cars!
So a known felon and jail house snitch is the reason you think a cop's career should be over? Do you really think such testimony is reliable? And what does this have to do with the tragedy at Costco?
This is stupid a cop shoot some guy and now they r pointing fingers at the dept well these r the same people that cry when the cops dont do there job now they do and its wrong because the family wants to press charges so lets pull the cop up on charges this is classic liberal america never stops crying.Im sorry for the family of the man who was killed but cops dont shoot for no reason not at a building unless they see a threat and they did.
Who Guards the Guards: Ex-FBI Agent Sent to Jail For Selling Guns
Source: Peter Suciu on August 26, 2010 The Associated Press, via The Houston Chronicle noted this week that former FBI agent John Thomas Shipley has been convicted of violating federal firearms laws after he acted as a gun dealer, and illegally sold 51 weapons from 2005 to 2008.
The news story noted that at least one of these guns was later traced by Mexican authorities following a shootout south of the border.
Folks...you can't make this stuff up!
He's just 23?
That explains no common sense, in this case.
Back to Burger King, dude.
****
Thought the same - "He is way too young to be a cop". He should still be riding with a senior officer. At that age, he is no better than the street thugs who commit crimes and is made worse by the fact he can "legally' carry a gun.
Wonder if he is a product of the Clark County School System??
Regardless of the felon's testimony, the officer admitted to giving a known felon a firearm. You can't spin your way out of that one.
laguna.. lets hope we don't have to hear your bull again!
Exorbitant salaries my a**! I sit behind a desk in a cushy office and make thousands more than these guys who have to deal with sh**bags every day.
And to all who continue to condemn a whole department of 1,000s because of a handful of officers actions.. Get a grip.
I guess this proves you don't have to take an IQ test to be a LV cop.
If the gun was useless as he is trying to claim, why did he give clips and bullets for it also? If this person does not go to jail for knowingly committing a felony, I have lost all my faith in Roger.
lv1,
If you make thousands more than Metro and sit behind a desk?
Obviously you must be a government worker.
you are mistaken laguna.. yet again.
They make right under $52,000, which is not "exorbitant" for what they deal with. Would you go to work every day knowing you can be shot at and/or killed for that?
I will not argue with you back and forth. I am merely conveying that they deserve the pay they get.
This officer made a stupid decision and he should pay for it. But there are plenty of good officers out there, who are there to "protect and serve". I know several and they would never make the mistakes some of these guys have. At the end of the day they just want to do their job and come home to their family, and should not be chastised because a handful of their counterparts do dumb crap. We are all human.
He should be facing other charges both criminal and internal. What about dereliction of duty for not arresting or confiscating the 357 the first time he saw it? How about supplying ammunition to a felon?
Any felon not friends with this cop would have been arrested and receiving 3 to 7 years just for having the 357 in the first place. But this cop just gives him another gun and some ammo. Put this POS cop in prison with the rest of the criminals, where he belongs. Oh wait, he is with a bunch of other criminals, METRO
Fine Jerry, he admitted to giving the gun, let the system work. Now how is this in any way related to the Costco tragedy?
Looks like the anti-gun nuts need to add another source where felons get their hands on a gun. One down, two to go.
METRO IS CORRUPT!!!!
It would be interesting to know what type of sentence other people have received for this same offense. Do they usually get probation if it is a first offense or mandatory jail time? Since police should be held to a higher standard then shouldn't he be held to the more serious punishment if found guilty? Also, officer, you say the gun was a piece of junk. Well what if you were the local bank teller and you were staring down the barrel of this piece of junk. Would you tell the robber "sorry you can't have any money, I think that gun doesn't work".
0Is anyone shocked that the felon whom he sold the gun to came out of Pima County?
I think LVMPD needs to monitored more closely by the Feds because there's never one cockroach.
dumb decision, not a bad person. He's also a Marine and has had extensive training.
All you haters do you also hate people who defend our nation? There are a ton of douche bags in the Department, but there are also good officers.
He wasn't trying to commit a crime, but he did have a lapse in judgment. That's it, if he has a good lawyer he'll get out of it and hopefully not ruin his life for someone he met a month before and I"m sure he was more of a acquaintance then a friend.
mschaffer - if you can't answer your own question, I don't know what to tell you.
No surprise -
FACT:
There is no single group in the community which violates more laws, terrorizes, brutalizes and kills more citizens as a matter of routine than those employed by Metro.
Mendiola should have been tagged with a murder rap for his "four-in-the-back" of Erik Scott.
Awesome Harley, how true it is.
The answer is that is has exactly zero to do with the prior tragedy.
MG,
If you believe that guns make a society better then why do all the legitimate studies of societies around the world contradict that belief?
...sure, it's bad for this city to have to continue to deal with issues of safety, and its own police force!
But, still, it's not automatically something to translate into a city wide issue of right and wrong. Even if the society around Las Vegas is showing signs its corrupt, using that word might really be better understood as breaking up because of a lack of healthy relationships...
We've had it good here. But, we're not growing, adapting. And the ability to manage a city most see as a bar might be the reason why?
Then there's that whole issue of who can really blame the mayor, police chief, council members; they're all elected...
Let me be the first to say we're failing, admitting it is where to start. And, the reason is probably embracing the city as something gangsters began has gone to far (keep in mind the biggest gangsters strove to be legal?) In other words, at the end of the day, if someone wants to criticize Las Vegas and still live here that's simply the easy way out.
What's next?
What are YOU going to do other than criticize?
(At least we can start with this paper actually making sure those who've made mistakes aren't in charge of these panaceas of diversiving the city with tax breaks/graft, greening up the state with tax breaks/graft; and, telling us these things will be the solution, should also point out the time frame of diversification is bound to be a decade!)
Thanks!
Get rid of him. He has no business being in law enforcement.
Thats easy, they don't!
The only difference between C_Bess and the average human being.. is the average human thinks before they speak.
The "average" Metro cop doesn't do crap like this..
And if the "average" inmate is by comparison no worse.. then lets release them all.. and they can come room with you since they are such angels.
No, the answer is one of the cops that was involved in the shooting at Costco was busted for giving a gun to a felon who then tried to sell it to an undercover. In turn, that raises questions about said cops judgement. The dots are very easy to connect.
The connection between Mendiola's furnishing a firearm to a convicted felon and the Costco shooting is at least this:
It makes the defense of the federal civil case against Metro and the officers involved harder to defend. Mendiola is now a major liability. His criminal actions cast doubt on the efficacy of Metro's training, legal education, and screening of their recruits. Any competent attorney will reduce Mendiola to a blithering idiot in front of a jury.
He may be a convicted felon by the time the Scott case goes to trial, and as previous posters have pointed out - why would anyone believe the testimony of a convicted felon. And we, the taxpayers, will pay out even more money because of Metro's hiring of individuals who aren't even qualified to be unarmed security guards.
SURPRISED? I'm not. Metro officers kill, ask, and maybe receive some not so truthful answers later.
The disturbing part of all of this is that the complaint against Mendiola was filed in September. This all happened after the Costco shooting, but before the subsequent inquest. What this implies is that Metro knew about this incident but kept it under wraps until after the inquest. Had they come out and made the incident public prior to the inquest, it could have potentially blown their case in terms of the officer's credibility. Further, the DA would be going after one of the very officers it was trying to clear in the Scott inquest. Now if that wouldn't have been a conflict of interest, I don't know what would.
So the question is why they (Metro and the DA) decided to move forward with this at all? My only guess is that the information became known once Robert Justice was being probed by the Feds for his ties to the Quon case and that other Metro officer. At that point, the Feds may have come upon the Mendiola gun incident as a result of their going over everyone with a fine toothed comb. Perhaps they said, uh hum... "you boys gonna do anything about this?" So my guess is that Metro had no other play but to move forward with outing Mendiola at that point. In other words, damage control... cutting off a finger to save a hand, et cetera, et cetera.
So now what's really interesting is the question of what Mendiola is going to do if he doesn't just get a slap on the wrist (i.e., possible jail time). If he cuts a deal... any kind of deal... what is it that he has to give up to get it? But whose he going to cut a deal with? He's got no one to cut a deal with. Or does he? I reckon things are going to get a lot more interesting. Then again, who knows. Maybe it will all just go away.
By the way, since Mendiola admitted to giving the gun to said felon, knowing he was a felon (since he admitted to such), the argument about "why believe a felon" is moot.
A lesson in life to those who think they are above the law: there's always someone above you, so be careful whose buttons you push. Mistakes can be forgiven, but arrogance can awake a sleeping bear. What is that old saying? Give a fool enough rope and he'll hang himself.
I don't have to worry about running into the cops because I'm not some idiot criminal, like you must be from the sounds of it. These kinds of acts are committed every day by the average criminal, and I don't hear you complaining then. Oh that's right because the papers would run outta room.
I wish we could notify Metro of your name and address so when some positive member of society (in your eyes at least).. aka "prison inmate" or other criminal, decides to break in to your home, or try to carjack you and put a gun to your head.. they can heed your warning that they aren't needed.
From the sounds of your threats on my life, and wishing me to h*ll, etc. I can rest easy knowing that I am not the piece of s**t, vile, angry, disgusting "human" being you are attempting to be.
Jerry,
It doesn't affect the material facts of what occurred at Costco because there was corroborating evidence. This again shows zero as the intersection between this incident and Costco tragedy.
MG,
It is easy when you haven't looked at any of the research. But just keep believing your John Wayne fantasies.