Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Former officer’s trial in deadly police chase delayed until July

Prosecutor develops medical issues, judge decides to delay trial

Crash location

A trial has been put on hold concerning the actions of former Metro Police officer Aron Carpenter during a pursuit a year ago that ended in the death of the driver being chased.

Judge Elissa Cadish heard today from Assistant District Attorney Chris Owens that the prosecutor in the case, Deputy District Attorney L.J. O'Neale, is continuing to have medical problems, so the district attorney's office would need more time to finish the trial.

After conferring with Owens and with Carpenter's attorney, Bret Whipple, Cadish agreed to delay the trial until July. Then she checked with jurors and found they would all be able to return for the final three days of the trial in July.

The trial will resume at 10:30 a.m. July 13 and is expected to last through July 15, Cadish said.

O'Neale began to have medical issues Thursday afternoon during the second day of testimony in the trial and was taken to an area hospital.

Owens told the judge it was unclear whether Owens' medical condition would improve this week. And he said it would take several days for another prosecutor to become familiar with the case.

Owens told the judge that when the trial continues, he would hope to have O'Neale return to the courtroom, although O'Neale would probable have another prosecutor assisting him.

Carpenter has pleaded not guilty to two counts of reckless driving for his actions on the night of May 19, 2010, during a police pursuit involving Ivan Carrillo, 26, in North Las Vegas.

Another driver called police that evening, reporting that Carrillo was driving slowly and erratically, straddling two lanes of traffic and making sudden stop, according to testimony.

A motorcycle officer first began following Carrillo and tried to get him to stop, using lights and sirens. But the officer said Carrillo continued driving.

Eventually two other police officers, including Carpenter, picked up the chase with their lights and sirens on. Then they were ordered to discontinue the chase by their supervisor.

However, they followed Carrillo after turning off their lights and sirens. One of the officers, Andrew Ubbens, testified he saw Carrillo begin to spin out at an intersection and head the wrong way into oncoming traffic. Ubbens testified that he began the chase again and used a "PIT" bumping maneuver to try to get Carrillo to lose control of his car.

Ubbens said during the PIT maneuver, he was called off the chase and when it didn't work, he pulled to the side of the road.

However, Carpenter continued to follow Carrillo's car.

According to authorities, Carrillo's Honda, which was northbound on Lamb Boulevard, struck Carpenter's patrol car after reaching the intersection of Lamb and Lone Mountain Road.

The Honda then crossed over into the southbound lanes on Lamb, colliding with a Ford Contour driven by Andrea Hottel and a Dodge Ram 1500. The Dodge Ram then struck a Pontiac Grand Prix, police said.

Carrillo's spine was separated by the impact and he began bleeding internally, according to a medical examiner.

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