Las Vegas Metro Police
Purging Itself of Bad Cops
at a Record Pace.
A Las Vegas police officer accused of stopping female drivers while on duty and coercing them into exposing their breasts and groping at least one victim resigned Tuesday, June 12.
Metro Officer John Norman resigned following charges of open and gross lewdness.
Police Sgt. John Sheahan confirmed today that officer John Norman is no longer employed with the Metropolitan Police Department.
Norman, 33, was arrested in February and charged with felony oppression under the color of law, gross misdemeanor oppression under the color of law, felony coercion and gross misdemeanor open and gross lewdness after two separate incidents in which he allegedly assaulted the women. In addition to those charges, officials in Metro’s Internal Affairs division are reviewing the claims of two additional women alleging some form of sexual misconduct. These incidents, which allegedly occurred during traffic stops as well, did not meet the standards required for criminal charges. While police have not yet released details regarding the latest allegations, investigators have been looking at whether Norman’s actions might have broken internal regulations.
Sgt. John Sheahan
Norman has been on unpaid leave since charges were filed against him on February 1, His resignation essentially ends his Las Vegas law enforcement career which he had just begun in 2008. Sheahan assures the public that Norman’s resignation will in no way impede the IA investigation The ongoing internal investigation is will more than likely find Norman’s behavior constituted serious violations of policy, “which will become part of his personnel file,” Sheahan said.
Sheehan took this opportunity to let the public know that the LVMPD is committed to bring accountability and transparency to a department plagued with secrets and cover-ups. While Sheriff Doug Gillespie has repeatedly promised voters he would bring reform to Metro, he has been plagued with incidents that exposed Metro as a department mired in cover-ups and rampant officer misconduct.
Officer Manor’s cruiser following the fatal 2009 crash
After he was caught lying to the public about officer James Manor’s culpability in 2009 traffic accident that claimed his life. Gillespie was emphatic for days after the accident that both Manor and another officer had their lights and sirens on as they were making their way to the domestic violence call. Gillespie further defended Metro’s arrest of Calvin Darling, an employee in the Bellagio’s engineering department, who was on his way home, on charges of drunk driving. After blood tests revealed Darling was not impaired and witnesses came forward adamant that neither of the Metro cruisers has their emergency lights on that night.
Following that incident, which cost taxpayers $120,000 to settle with Darling, Gillespie found himself in the midst of a rash of controversial fatal officer involved shootings culminating with a record number of fatal incidents in 2011 and more than $6.5 million in taxpayer-funded settlements since 2008. However, despite his officers desperate attempts to avoid accountability, Gillespie has seemed willing to purge the department of rogue cops like Norman over the past few months.
Prior to Norman’s resignation, the department was expected to announce the termination of Metro Detective Timothy Nicothodes, who has been on unpaid leave following an accident he caused after a night of heavy drinking in Montana. Nicothodes plead guilty to a felony charge of criminal endangerment earlier this year and was scheduled to be formally sentenced late last week. The detective, whose wife, Deputy Chief Kathy O’Connor, is chief of staff to Sheriff Douglas Gillespie, was expected to be officially terminated once his sentence was officially entered into the Montana courts. Metro has of now, not announced the detective’s official termination.
Timothy Nicothodes’ Montana mug shot
Norman’s criminal case is now in the hands of District Attorney Steve Wolfson and the Clark County court system. On Monday, he waived his right to a preliminary hearing his case was bound over to District Court. His next court appearance was set for June 25, but has been delayed until mid-July.
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