Interesting news this morning, thanks Roneski. Please follow link for complete article: http://www.lvrj.com/news/witness-lis...-99448369.html
The coroner's inquest into the fatal shooting of the man at a busy Summerlin Costco has been indefinitely delayed partly because of the number of witnesses who might testify, Clark County District Attorney David Roger said Tuesday.
Roger said Las Vegas police haven't submitted to his office the appropriate paperwork, including witness statements, needed to subpoena those who saw the July 10 shooting of 38-year-old Erik Scott. The inquest had been set for Sept. 3; no new date has been set...
...Citing the ongoing investigation, police have refused requests to release the 911 recording, while the hard drive from the store surveillance system remains under forensic review by a police agency in Southern California.
Goodman said the postponement of the inquest "raises the specter of suspicion."
"This leaves the family with no answer and no information at the pure discretion of when Metro believes it should release the information," Goodman said. "I'm unable to do any investigation because Metro controls the investigation."
Police did not return a call late Tuesday afternoon for comment.
...Roger wouldn't speculate on when the Scott inquest will be rescheduled.
Clark County Coroner Mike Murphy said such delays are rare but not unprecedented.
Three officers have been placed on routine paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation and an inquest...
The shooting was not the first for Mosher, who in April 2006 was one of two officers who shot and killed a suspect in a car.
...Police said that they have spoken to about 40 witnesses and that more than a dozen said they saw Scott pull a gun. The Las Vegas Review-Journal has interviewed seven witnesses. Three said Scott drew a gun, but none of them said they saw him point it at police officers.
Goodman said 15 witnesses, including doctors and lawyers who were within five feet of the shooting, have said "unequivocally" that not only was Scott not pointing a gun, he was no threat and had no time to react to multiple police commands before he was shot.
Goodman said Scott was shot seven times, including once in the chest, once in the shoulder, and five times in the back while he was on the ground.
Goodman also said he has identified four cameras near the store entrance that might have recorded the shooting, plus a camera in the store that could show Scott's behavior while in the store. The 911 recording and any video surveillance are critical, he said.
"The family just wants the truth to be told," Goodman said.
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Un-****ing-believable
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That statement is from Erik Scott's family's attorney, the mayor's son, so I'm not sure how accurate it is but it was published by the RJ as a quote.
Originally Posted by decodeddiesel
Un-****ing-believable
The local news and citizens are ripping on Metro, the inquest process and everyone involved on the .Gov side. -
Agreed. Sounds like amateur hour by the PD, and trying to suppress evidence and first hand accounts by credible witnesses.
For God and the soldier we adore, In time of danger, not before! The danger passed, and all things righted, God is forgotten and the soldier slighted." - Rudyard Kipling -
What are the odds that this is a prelude to the DA charging the police officers involved?
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Slim and none, leaning towards none. Originally Posted by Littlelebowski
"It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge. War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner."
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So, why do you think that the DA is holding this up? Originally Posted by Rider79
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http://www.mynews3.com/story.php?id=23961&n=5035
Delayed indefinitely.
That’s the word regarding the Coroner’s Inquest that would have determined whether police were justified in the controversial shooting of an armed suspect outside of a local Costco store.
The District Attorney’s Office has requested the delay due to the complexity of the ongoing investigation.
So how is this sitting with the family of Erik Scott?
They’re not happy and their attorney is furious. While the sheriff has been urging patience, that patience is now wearing thin.
Steve Crupi: What's your reaction to this?
“We’re outraged because Sheriff Gillespie is going on press conferences saying that they’re not going to release the video or the 911 tapes until the inquest. And then they continue the inquest indefinitely,” says attorney Ross Goodman.
Goodman represents the family of Erik Scott, the man shot by police earlier this month after he created a disturbance at the Costco store in Summerlin, had two guns with him, and allegedly failed to follow police commands.
The complexity of the case has now prompted the DA to indefinitely postpone the inquest, originally set for September 3.
"The inquest process was designed so the community knows what their police officers are doing,” says District Attorney David Roger. “And until we get all the police report we won't know how many witnesses there will be. We know there are going to be a lot.”
Roger says his office has not yet received any of the investigation material from Metro Police. However, Sheriff Gillespie claims his department is conducting a thorough and unbiased investigation, repeatedly calling for patience.
But relatives of Erik Scott aren’t listening. They’ve gone as far as to purchase electronic billboards encouraging potential witnesses to expose the truth.
And this delay with the inquest has only added fuel to their fire.
“The family is left shocked we don't have the answers yet,” Goodman continues.
Although Goodman isn’t alleging any specific misconduct by police, he says any further delay will only add to the uncertainty and suspicion surrounding this case.
The DA says another reason for delaying the inquest is the fact that two other inquests are scheduled to happen first, and those are being handled by the same prosecutors. -
So, help me understand this. The DA has delayed this indefinitely.
Does the above mean that the DA is making the police find their witnesses or that the DA is now involved in finding witnesses?Roger said Las Vegas police haven't submitted to his office the appropriate paperwork, including witness statements, needed to subpoena those who saw the July 10 shooting of 38-year-old Erik Scott.
I know we've got quite a few LEOs and even a few lawyers on here - care to take an educated guess? -
No idea, but I don't see the DA charging the cops. The last cop that got charged/convicted in a shooting was Ron Mortensen (sp?) and it wasn't an on-duty shooting, there was alot more to it. The cadets who were doing drive-bys on gangbangers a few years ago were charged too. As for on-duty shootings, I don't think even the officer who shot the handcuffed guy in the back who was being restrained by two officers got charged. And I know the officer who shot the fleeing handcuffed murder suspect in the back who escaped from a patrol car wasn't charged. Irish might be able to provide more info, I can't google for shit and I'm on my iPhone. Originally Posted by Littlelebowski
Last edited by Rider79; 07-28-10 at 21:20.
"It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge. War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner."
