The Nye County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an incidental captured connected video wherever 1 of its deputies appeared to transverse a median successful a patrol conveyance and ram a motorcycle operator during a pursuit connected Friday successful Las Vegas.
The bureau acknowledged the incidental successful a Facebook station Saturday aft a video surfaced connected societal media showing a Nye County patrol conveyance appearing to marque interaction with a motorcycle adjacent the intersection of Tropicana Avenue and Mountain Vista Street, sending the operator tumbling to the crushed earlier a ft pursuit commenced.
“We cannot merchandise immoderate further comments oregon details astatine this clip owed to (it) being an ongoing investigation,” Sheriff Joe McGill told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “However, determination volition beryllium immoderate accusation coming retired successful the adjacent fewer days.”
While details from the sheriff’s bureau stay scant, constabulary and tribunal records place the operator arsenic Johnathan Rios, 34, who was arrested connected suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, reckless driving, operating an unregistered vehicle, driving without a licence and disobeying a bid officer.
The apprehension study states a Nye County postulation lawman observed a teal motorcycle without a sheet weaving done postulation connected Interstate 11 adjacent Charleston Boulevard circular 1:12 p.m. and a pursuit ensued aft the operator failed to propulsion implicit aft the lawman activated his lights and sirens. The apprehension study stated that the Nye County lawman was conducting targeted postulation enforcement.
The lawman wrote that helium reached speeds astir 90 miles per hr arsenic helium pursued the motorcyclist, who continued to weave successful and retired of postulation and thrust done aggregate restricted areas earlier exiting connected the Tropicana Avenue off-ramp.
After Rios allegedly ran done a reddish light, the lawman wrote that helium “attempted to artifact Rios in,” adjacent the congested intersection of Mountain Vista Street and Tropicana Avenue.
“This was effective, causing Rios to suffer his equilibrium connected his motorcycle, astir falling astatine a adjacent stop, wherever helium turned astir earlier dropping his motorcycle,” the lawman wrote successful the apprehension report. “Immediately, Rios begun to fly connected ft wherever I past engaged into a ft pursuit aft him.”
Carmen Watson, the idiosyncratic who captured the video of the incident, disputed the deputy’s account.
“I watched him deed the backmost of the bike,” she said. “He picked up velocity coming implicit the median.”
A Department of Justice study from 2023 issued a proposal that instrumentality enforcement agencies should “discourage oregon prohibit” pursuits involving motorcycles.
“Pursuing a motorcycle should lone beryllium permitted if determination is an elevated hazard to the assemblage if the fishy remains astatine ample and officers tin behaviour the pursuit successful a reasonably harmless manner,” the study stated.
The DOJ study besides cited information from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis that showed motorcyclists were much apt to beryllium injured oregon dice than car passengers successful crashes.
During an inspection of the motorcycle, deputies recovered the ignition tampered with, allowing it to beryllium operated with a screwdriver, the apprehension study stated.
After transporting Rios to a hospital, deputies said helium “was apologetic, calling his actions inconsiderate, selfish, anserine and had regrets,” portion besides claiming helium was utilizing his friend’s motorcycle, the study said.
The apprehension study states the Metropolitan Police Department was notified of the stolen conveyance recovery. Metro told the Review-Journal that Nye County did not notify it of the conveyance pursuit.
Prior to past week’s arrest, Rios had respective run-ins with instrumentality enforcement.
Rios pleaded blameworthy successful 2011 to attempted possession of stolen spot aft admitting to a constabulary serviceman that helium took different person’s conveyance for a “joyride,” according to constabulary and tribunal records. He besides pleaded nary contention to DUI successful 2014 and 2025, according to tribunal records.
He was released from custody astatine the Clark County Detention Center aft posting bond.
Contact Devan Patel astatine dpatel@reviewjournal.com.
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