Metro sought arrest warrant for Nye deputy after motorcycle pursuit in Las Vegas

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police detectives sought an arrest warrant for Nye County Sheriff's Deputy Spencer Hagan after he crossed a median and struck motorcyclist Johnathan Rios with his patrol vehicle during a pursuit on Aug. 28 near Tropicana Avenue and Mountain Vista Street. An investigative report obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal shows Detective Marc Colon concluded Hagan committed battery with a deadly weapon and misrepresented the circumstances of the crash, which sent Rios tumbling to the ground before a foot chase began.

Rios told Metro detectives that Hagan was "very aggressive" and he believed the deputy was "trying to run him over." Colon wrote that Hagan "willfully and unlawfully used deadly force in the form of his patrol vehicle versus a motorcycle" against a suspect who, at that moment, was guilty only of reckless driving. No criminal case has been filed in Las Vegas Justice Court, and Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill did not respond to requests for comment.

Hagan was in the area participating in "Joining Forces Day," a joint distracted-driving campaign. Metro's investigation found Hagan was weaving through traffic at 105 mph without a siren before activating it next to Rios on Interstate 11. Hagan's own arrest report stated he pursued the motorcycle at speeds around 90 mph after observing it weaving near Charleston Boulevard, though he did not know the bike was stolen until after the arrest.

The Clark County District Attorney's office declined to prosecute all but one charge against Rios — possession of a stolen vehicle, reckless driving, operating an unregistered vehicle, driving without a license and disobeying a peace officer — before dismissing the final charge in October. Hagan told Metro investigators that pursuits are at a deputy's discretion and do not require supervisor approval, and that Nye deputies may pursue for traffic violations.

However, Nye County Sheriff's Office policy states that pursuits outside the county require "the concurrence of a NCSO supervisor" and that deadly force should be a last resort requiring "permission of a pursuit supervisor, if feasible."

Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal